Changes in the androgen levels in the ventral prostate of spontaneously hypertensive rats after castration.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the changes in androgen levels in the prostate after castration, as androgens are critical in the progression of prostate cancer after castration, but the time at which the androgen remaining in the prostatic cancer tissue after castration exerts its effects is poorly understood.


METHODS
The ventral prostate (VP) in adult male spontaneously hypertensive rats was excised at 2, 4 and 8 h, 1, 2, 4 and 7 days, and 2, 4 and 8 weeks after castration. The dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione (4-dione) levels in the VP were measured simultaneously using gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.


RESULTS
Within 2 days of castration, the DHT and testosterone levels in the VP decreased sharply, while there were no significant changes in the DHEA or 4-dione levels. From 2 days to 2 weeks after castration (2-7 days for 4-dione), there was a sharp peak in tissue androgen levels in the VP (P < 0.05 for all androgens); during the subsequent 6 weeks after castration, all of the tissue DHT, testosterone, DHEA and 4-dione levels gradually increased with time.


CONCLUSIONS
These data show the changes which occur in androgen levels in rat VP after castration and support the concept that the adrenal glands compensate for the loss of testicular androgen.
Hu
Mingqiu
M
Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, PR China.
Xin
Dianqi
D
Chen
Jun
J
Sun
Guofeng
G
Wang
Yiming
Y
Na
Yanqun
Y
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR
D000728:Androgens