Prostate Long-Term Epithelial Cell Lines. Biological and Biochemical Features (original) (raw)

1990, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

All the androgen'-sensitive peripheral tissues and cells, like prostate, kidney, sebaceous gland, and seminal vesicles, are commonly believed to possess the ability to metabolize testosterone (T). Two main pathways are well recognized. One is the conversion of T into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 3a-androstanediol (3a-diol) or 3p-androstanediol(3~-diol). This conversion, considered to be a prerequisite for the multiple actions exerted by T on target structures,I4 needs an enzymatic complex including Sa-reductase and two 3a-or 3p-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSD).1,5-9 The second possible pathway is the conversion of T into androstenedione (deltaCA), Sa-androstanedione (5a-A), and androsterone (A). This pathway has been ascertained in normal and diseased prostate gland of both doglo." and man,iz-ls but its presence in rat prostate is still debated.'.I6 In a previous report, Robe1 er ~1 .~ showed that explants of rat prostatic tissue do not form delta4-A from T. Controversially, Djoseland et a/.16 found that either delta4-A, Sa-A and A are present in the prostate of adult male rats after in vivo administration of T. In a recent work, Martini and coworkers produced clear evidence that the prostate of normal young rats is able to convert T into high levels of DHT and diols, but substantial amounts of delta4-A, 5aA, and A have also been detected. Moreover, data from several authors demonstrate that a This work has been partially supported by financial grants from the National Research e Systematic names, trivial names, and abbreviations used for androgens: 4-androsten-17P-ol-3-one1 testosterone (T); 5a-androstan-l7P-ol-3-one, dihydrotestosterone (DHT); Saandrostan-3a, 17p-dio1, 3cu-androstanediol (3a-diol); 5a-androstan-3P, 17P-dio1, 3P-androstanediol (3P-diol); 4-androsten-3,17-dione, androstenedione (delta4-A); Sa-androstan-3,17-dione, androstanedione (5a-A); 5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, androsterone (A); Sa-androstan-3p-01-17-one, Epiandrosterone (Epi-A).