title: Altered androgen regulation of differentiated ventral prostate function during aging of the AXC rat.
abstract: We have examined testosterone regulation of differentiated androgen responsive ventral prostate function in aging AXC rats as a possible means of identifying age-related changes in prostate gene function. Concerning cellular content of functional macromolecules, we identified three categories of age-related change in ventral prostate: (1) diminutions completely reversible by short-term chronic testosterone treatment, as exemplified by androgen receptor content; (2) diminutions partially reversible by testosterone treatment, as exemplified by prolactin receptor content and L-ornithine-decarboxylase (ODC) activity; and (3) diminutions not reversed by exogenous testosterone treatment, as exemplified by S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (AMDC) activity. A fourth category of alteration revealed apparent age-related changes in polyamine homeostasis. The anabolic products of ODC and AMDC activities, putrescine, spermidine and spermine, showed an age-related diminished dependence between the activities of ODC and AMDC and ventral prostate polyamine content. The possibility that these changes reflect age-related alterations in ventral prostate gene activity is under investigation.
mesh_terms: D012437:Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D013739:Testosterone; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase; D012437:Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase