The Uptake of Testosterone and Zinc in Vitro by the Human Benign Hypertrophic Prostate

SUMMARY The uptake of 65Zn and [1,2-3H]testosterone by minced tissue of human benign hypertrophic prostates and the subcellular distribution of radioactivity were examined. The nature of steroid and 65Zn binding by the cytosol (105000 g supernatant) fraction was investigated by gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography and electrophoresis. It was found that steroid binding after incubation at 4°C was specific. One or two regions of steroid binding were observed after gel filtration of the cytosol using Sephadex G-200, depending upon incubation conditions. Binding of 65Zn was found in the low molecular weight peak after G-200 gel filtration. Equimolar CdCl2 and 65ZnCl2 were incubated with [1,2-3H]testosterone and minced tissue and the cytosol was subjected to gel filtration. Compared with control values, without CdCl2, reduction of 65Zn binding by about 50% occurred, while binding of 3H-labelled steroid was unaffected. Electrophoresis and ion-exchange chromatography showed that 65Zn and 3H-labelled steroid were bound to different proteins. A sample of the zinc-binding protein was prepared by ion-exchange chromatography and the homogeneity was checked by electrophoresis.