Effect of androgen on androgen receptors in cultured human epididymis.
Optimal assay conditions were developed to determine androgen receptor concentrations in samples of human epididymis. Pretreatment of cytosol with mersalyl, as well as the inclusion of molybdate in the homogenization buffers, resulted in a substantial increase in the number of soluble sites detected. A high yield of nuclear and microsomal binding sites was obtained by prolonged incubation (12 h) in 0.6 mol NaCl/l. Organ culture for 6 days resulted in a major loss of androgen-binding sites. In the absence of androgen in the culture media, only 20% of the original sites were found in cultured tissue. Inclusion of dihydrotestosterone (0.1 mumol/l) in the media resulted in samples containing twice as many sites as controls. It is concluded that androgens influence the number of androgen-binding sites in cultured human epididymis in a manner analogous to that described for rat epididymis in vivo.
D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone