Differential response of sebaceous glands to exogenous testosterone.
To test the hypothesis that the seborrhoea of acne is an end-organ hyper-response to androgens, a standardized dose of 2% testosterone cream was applied to the forehead of eight prepubertal boys for 6 weeks and the effect determined by measurements of sebum excretion rate (SER). Three boys showed a 15-fold increase in SER and three boys were non-responders, whereas two boys had SER values between those of the responders and non-responders. These data show that sebaceous glands are stimulated by androgens to varying degrees and support the theory of an end-organ response in acne.
Department of Dermatology, University of Leeds, General Infirmary, U.K.
D B
DB
Holland
W J
WJ
Cunliffe
J F
JF
Norris
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012629:Sebum / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013739:Testosterone