Androgenic Receptors in Human Benign Nodular Prostatic Hyperplasia

Following incubation of slices from benign nodular prostatic hyperplasia (BNPH) with [3H] testosterone in vitro, a selective accumulation and retention of radioactivity was found in the prostatic tissue. The uptake and retention of androgen by the pyramidalis muscles was significantly lower. The 105 000 × g supernatant fraction of homogenates obtained from BNPH contained androphilic macromolecules excluded from Sephadex G-100 gel, both after incubation of the slices from [3H] testosterone and [3H] 5α-dihydrotestosterone, and after incubation of prostatic cytosol directly with [3H] 5α-dihydrotestosterone in vitro. The 600 × g crude nuclear fraction of homogenized BNPH contained salt extractable androgen-binding macromolecules. Similar results were also obtained when purified nuclear fractions were examined.