Summary
Low- and high-salt (600 mM KCl) extractable androgen receptors were measured in the ventral prostate lobes of 70-day-old rats which were housed in constant environmental conditions (22 ± 2°C, 65 ± 5% air humidity, light 6.00 h–18.00 h).
Seasonal variations were observed during 2 years, exhibiting elevations in late summer and autumn and depressions in late winter and spring time. These fluctuations were superposed by steep changes from month to month. The maximum and minimum values of the low- and high-salt extractable receptors differed within 1 year by a factor 8.5 and 2.4, respectively. Both receptor fractions showed a diurnal rhythm as measured during 1 day in January with maximal concentrations at 9.00 h (low-salt: median = 1 308 fmol/mg DNA) and minimal values at 18.00 (424) and 24.00 (230). The electrophoretic mobility in agar gel of pH 8.2 also showed a diurnal variation with maximal values at 18.00 h in either receptor fraction. Neither the seasonal nor the diurnal variations were correlated to the corresponding rhythms of serum testosterone concentrations. As steroid receptors may be regulated by neural transmission, in a final experiment the parasympathic innervation of the prostate was blocked by infiltrating the plexus pelvicus with a local anesthetic drug. One hour later, the total receptor concentration was not changed, while the ratio of low- to high-salt extractable receptors and the electrophoretic mobility of both fractions were elevated as compared to the control animals. This finding indicates that peripheral neural transmission rather than circulating testosterone may be involved in the regulation of androgen receptors in rat ventral prostate.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartsch W, Nehse G, Voigt KD (1983) Cytosolic androgen receptor concentration in the androgen deprived and stimulated rat prostate. Acta Endocrinol [Suppl 253] 102:46–47 [Abstr]
Burton K (1956) A study of the conditions and mechanisms of the diphenylamine reaction for the colorimetric estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Biochem J 62:315–322
Cardinali DP, Gejman PV, Ritta MN (1983) Further evidence of adrenergic control of translocation and intracellular levels of estrogen receptors in rat pineal gland. Endocrinology 112:492–498
Clark CR (ed) (1987) Steroid hormone receptors: Their intracellular localization. Verlag Chemie, Weinheim
Francavilla A, Eagon PA, van Thiel DH, Panella C, Polimeno L, Amoruso C, Ingrosso M, Aquilano AM, Starzl TE (1986) Circadian rhythm of hepatic cytosolic and nuclear estrogen and androgen receptors. Gastroenterology 91:182–188
Geller J, Albert J, Geller S (1982) Acute therapy with megestrol acetate decreases nuclear and cytosol androgen receptors in human BPH tissue. Prostate 3:11–15
Hughes A, Jacobson HJ, Wagner RK, Jungblut PW (1976) Ovarian-independent fluctuations of estradiol receptor levels in mammalian tissues. Mol Cell Endocrinol 5:379–388
Jungblut PW, Hughes A, Gaues J, Kallweit E, Maschler J, Parl F, Sierralta W, Szendro PJ, Wagner RK (1979) Mechanisms involved in the regulation of steroid receptor levels. J Steroid Biochem 11:273–278
Moeller H (1982) Bestimmung von Androgenrezeptoren durch Bindung von3H-Dihydrotestosteron in Gegenwart von NAD+-Nukleosidase. Attempto, Tübingen
Moeller H, Birkle B, Goecke B, Steinbach K, Weiblen E (1986) Prolactin does not influence androgen receptor concentration in rat ventral prostate. J Steroid Biochem 25 [Suppl]:101 [Abstr]
Moeller H, Goecke B (1984) Cyproterone acetate may induce the synthesis of androgen receptors in rat ventral prostate independently of receptor translocation to the nucleus. Acta Endocrinol [Suppl 264] 105:94–95 [Abstract]
Moeller H, Görlich T, Haug A, Goecke B (1986) Effect of lisuride and cyproterone acetate on the prostatic androgen receptor of hypophysectomized rats. Acta Endocrinol [Suppl 274] 111:154–155 [Abstr]
Moeller H, Oettling G, Fiederer B, Brügmann G (1983) A quantitative assay for the cytoplasmic androgen receptor using3H-dihydrotestosterone in the presence of NAD+-nucleosidase. Acta Endocrinol 102:153–160
Moeller H, Schneider C, Goecke B (1985) Prolactin: Ein Regulator des zytoplasmatischen Androgen-Rezeptors der Prostata? In: Harzmann R, Jacobi GH, Weißbeck L (Hrsg) Experimentelle Urologie. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, S 290–295
Oettling G (1987) Messung der freien und besetzten Androgenrezeptoren im Cytosol der ventralen Rattenprostata. Thesis, Universität Tübingen, FRG
Oettling G, Moeller H (1987) A formula for the correct evaluation of specific binding. Acta Endocrinol [Suppl 283] 114:142–143 [Abstr]
Oettling G, Moeller H (1988) Receptor analysis: Arithmetic correction improves precision and accuracy. Anal Biochem 170:472–477
Roy EJ, Wilson MA (1981) Diurnal rhythm in cytoplasmic estrogen receptors in the rat brain in the absence of circulating estrogen. Science 213:1525–1527
Stern WD (1986) Circadiane Änderungen der Konzentration des cytosolischen Androgenrezeptors der Rattenprostata in Abhängigkeit von der Konzentration des Prolaktins im Serum. Thesis, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, FRG
Sullivan JN, Strott CA (1973) Evidence for an androgen-independent mechanism regulating the levels of receptor in target tissue. J Biol Chem 248:3202–3308
Tezon JG, Blaquier JA (1983) Androgens control androgen-binding sites in rat epididymis. Endocrinology 113:1025–1030
Wagner RK (1972) Characterization and assay of steroid hormone receptors and steroid binding serum proteins by agar gel electrophoresis at low temperature. Hoppe-Seyler's Z Physiol Chem 353:1235–1245
Wagner RK (1978) Extracellular and intracellular steroid binding proteins. Acta Endocrinol 88:[Suppl 218]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Prof. J. R. Bierich on the occasion of his 68th birthday
Supported by a grant of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Mo 315/2-3)
This work contains parts of the doctoral thesis of F. Herter
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moeller, H., Goecke, B. & Herter, F. Seasonal and diurnal changes of prostatic androgen receptor and circulating testosterone in young mature rats. Res. Exp. Med. 188, 451–462 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01852003
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01852003