title: The hamster flank organ model: is it relevant to man?
abstract: The critical role that androgens play in the etiology of acne has led to a search for topically active antiandrogens and the frequent use of the flank organ of the golden Syrian hamster as an animal model. 17-alpha-propyltestosterone (17-PT) has been identified as having potent antiandrogenic activity in the hamster model, and this report describes its clinical evaluation. Two double-blind placebo controlled studies comparing 4% 17-PT in 80% alcohol versus vehicle alone were conducted. One study examined 17-PT sebosuppressive activity in 20 subjects. The second study examined its efficacy in 44 subjects having mild to moderate acne. A third study measured in vitro percutaneous absorption of 17-PT through hamster flank and monkey skin, and human face skin in-vivo, using radioactive drug. 17-PT was found to be ineffective in reducing either the sebum excretion rate or the number of inflammatory acne lesions. Failure of 17-PT to show clinical activity was not a result of poor percutaneous absorption. Total absorption in man was 7.7% of the dose and only 1.0% in the hamster. The sebaceous gland of hamster flank organ is apparently more sensitive to antiandrogens than the human sebaceous gland.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Washington, Seattle.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lehman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pochi
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Odland
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olerud
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000652:urine; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008251:Macaca; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D011897:Random Allocation; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012629:Sebum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D012869:Skin Absorption / Q000187:drug effects*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D013739:Testosterone; C022964:topterone