Demonstration of an androgen receptor in rat pancreas.

[1,2,6,7-3H]Testosterone (250 muCi) was administered to castrated male rats; after 30 min a labelled testosterone-receptor protein complex with a pI of 5.1 was recovered from the pancreatic cytosol. A labelled testosterone-receptor complex with an identical pI was also extracted from the nuclear fraction of rat pancreas after incubation of minced pancreatic tissue with 0.1 muM-]1,2,6,7-3H]testosterone for 30 min at 37 degrees C. Studies in vitro showed that [1,2,6,7-3H]testosterone was bound to a receptor protein focusing at a pI of 5.1 and with a Kd of 2 nM and a number of binding sites of 4.7 fmol/mg of protein in castrated male rats. The testosterone-receptor complex sedimented at 3.5 S in high-salt sucrose-density gradients, was excluded from Sephadex G-200 and Ultragel ACA-34, was stable towards treatment with dextran-coated charcoal, was relatively sensitive to heat, and was stable to treatment with deoxyribonuclease and ribonuclease, but was sensitive to treatment which proteinase. It is suggested that the pancreatic androgen receptor, which was also present in castrated female rats, may play a role in sex-steroid regulation of pancreatic function.     

Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase Induced in Cells Infected with Sendai Virus

A ribonucleic acid (RNA)-dependent RNA polymerase was induced in chick embryo fibroblast cells after infection with Sendai virus (parainfluenza 1 virus). The enzyme was associated with the microsomal fraction of infected cells and reached maximum detectable activity at 18 hr after virus infection. The activity of the enzyme in vitro was dependent on the presence of added magnesium ions and all four nucleoside triphosphates and was not inhibited by actinomycin D. The RNA synthesized by the enzyme in vitro was sensitive to ribonuclease and consisted of a complex mixture of RNA species including 34S, 24S, and 18S components. Similar RNA components were detected in the microsomal fraction of Sendai virus-infected cells by labeling with (3)H-uridine from 17 to 18 hr postinfection in the presence of actinomycin D. Of the RNA synthesized by Sendai virus-induced RNA polymerase in vitro, 98% became insensitive to ribonuclease after annealing with RNA extracted from purified Sendai virus particles.     

The subcellular localization of the changes in ribonuclease and phosphatase activities of the mouse kidney produced by castration and testosterone

Male mice were castrated at 2 months of age and a pellet of testosterone propionate was implanted subcutaneously ten days later. After 14 days, normal, castrated and androgen treated mice were autopsied simultaneously. The kidneys of each group were homogenized, pooled and fractionated by centrifugation into the various subcellular components. The alkaline ribonuclease and phosphatase activities were localized in the microsomal fraction and changed in inverse relationship to the previously observed changes in the rate of protein biosynthesis and the concentration of microsomal and polysomal RNA induced by castration and androgen administration. Esterase activity also was localized in the microsomal fraction and its specific activity decreased after castration and was restored to normal by testosterone. The activities of acid ribonuclease, acid phosphatase and the several marker enzymes (glucose-6-phosphatase, nucleotidase, succinic dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) changed in direct proportion to the changes in weight of the kidney after castration and androgen stimulation.     

Impaired 3H-testosterone uptake and metabolism in the accessory sex glands of diabetic castrated male rats.

The uptake and retention of 1,2-3H-testosterone in accessory sex glands, muscle and liver of streptozotocin diabetic castrated male rats, insulin-treated diabetic castrated rats and non-diabetic castrated control rats were studied at various time intervals after an intravenous injection. Diabetes reduced the retention of 3H-testosterone in the prostate, the preputial gland and the epididymis. Exogenous insulin slightly increased the retention of 3H-testosterone in these tissues of diabetic rats. No significant differences in the radioactivity in the rectus abdominis muscle, the coagulating glands and the seminal vesicles were found between the various experimental groups. Ventral prostate homogenates obtained from diabetic and control rats were incubated with 3H-testosterone in vitro. The steroids were extracted and thin-layer chromatographs were scanned for radioactivity. In prostatic homogenates taken from diabetic rats, testosterone transformation to dihydrotestosterone was reduced. The results indicate that the impaired function and androgen retention of the accessory sex glands of diabetic male rats is at least partly due to the reduced formation of dihydrotestosterone from testosterone.     

Flutamide blocks the self-priming effect of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in pubertal male rats

Castration of pubertal or young adult male rats eliminates the self-priming effect of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone on luteinizing hormone secretion. Testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, or estradiol will maintain this effect in castrated animals. In order to explore the mechanism by which both dihydrotestosterone and estradiol are capable of maintaining the effect, intact rats as well as castrated animals implanted with testosterone capsules were treated with the antiandrogen Flutamide. In both intact animals and castrated rats bearing testosterone-filled Silastic capsules, Flutamide blocked the self-priming effect. These data suggest that the androgen receptor is of primary importance in the maintenance of the self-priming effect.     

PKCdelta mediates testosterone-induced increases in coronary smooth muscle Cav1.2

Sex hormones have emerged as important modulators of cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology. Our previous studies demonstrated that testosterone increases expression and activity of L-type, voltage-gated calcium channels (Cav1.2) in coronary arteries of males. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether testosterone (T) alters coronary protein kinase C delta (PKCdelta) expression and whether PKCdelta plays a role in coronary Cav1.2 expression. For in vitro studies, porcine right coronary arteries (RCA) and post-confluent (passages 3-6) 5-day, serum-restricted coronary smooth muscle cell cultures (CSMC) were incubated in the presence and absence of T or dihydrotestosterone (10 and 100 nm) for 18 h at 37 degrees C in a humidified chamber. For sex and endogenous testosterone-dependent effects, RCA were obtained from intact males, castrated males, castrated males with T replacement, and intact females. In vitro T and dihydrotestosterone caused an approximately 2-3-fold increase in PKCdelta protein levels, approximately 1.5-2-fold increase in PKCdelta kinase activity, and localization of PKCdelta toward the plasma membrane and nuclear envelope. PKCdelta protein levels were higher in coronary arteries of intact males compared with intact females. Elimination of endogenous testosterone by castration reduced RCA PKCdelta protein levels, an effect partially (approximately 45%) reversed by exogenous T (castrated males with T replacement). In CSMC, PKC inhibition with either the general PKC inhibitor, cheylerythrine, or the putative PKCdelta inhibitor, rottlerin, completely inhibited the T-mediated increase in coronary Cav1.2 protein levels. Conversely, Go6976, a conventional PKC isoform inhibitor, failed to inhibit T-induced increases in coronary Cav1.2 protein levels. PKCdelta short interference RNA completely blocked T-induced increases in Cav1.2 protein levels in CSMC. These results demonstrate for the first time that 1) endogenous T is a primary modulator of coronary PKCdelta protein and activity in males and 2) T increases Cav1.2 protein expression in a PKCdelta-dependent manner.     

RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase in Nuclei of Cells Infected with Influenza Virus

Nuclei purified from chicken embryo fibroblast cells infected with influenza (fowl plague) virus contain an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The in vitro activity of this enzyme is insensitive to actinomycin D, and is completely destroyed by preincubation with ribonuclease. Enzyme induction is prevented if cells are treated with actinomycin D or cycloheximide at the time of infection. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity increases rapidly in cell nuclei from 1 h postinfection, reaches a maximum at 3 to 4 h, then declines; a similar RNA polymerase activity in the microsomal cell fraction increases from 2 h postinfection and reaches a maximum at 5 to 6 h. The characteristics of the nuclear and microsomal enzymes in vitro are similar with respect to pH and divalent cation requirements. The in vitro products of enzyme activity present in the nuclear and microsomal fractions of cells infected for 3 and 5 h were characterized by sucrose density gradient analysis, and annealing to virion RNA. The microsomal RNA polymerase product contained 67 and 93% RNA complementary to virion RNA at 3 and 5 h, respectively; for the nuclear RNA polymerase product these values were 40% in each case.     

Additive effects of thyroid hormone,growth hormone and testosterone on deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase in rat-liver nuclei

1. The stimulations of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase in isolated rat-liver nuclei by thyroid hormone, human growth hormone and testosterone are compared. 2. Single or multiple administrations of growth-promoting doses of tri-iodo-l-thyronine, human growth hormone and testosterone stimulate the Mg²⁺-activated RNA-polymerase reaction in nuclei from thyroidectomized, hypophysectomized and castrated rats respectively. The magnitude of stimulation was proportional to the degree of enhancement of liver growth by each hormone. After a single injection, the latent period preceding the stimulation was 1, 2 and 10hr. for growth hormone, testosterone and tri-iodothyronine respectively. The time-course of stimulation of enzyme activity and the synthesis of rapidly labelled nuclear RNA in vivo were also different for each hormone. 3. Growth hormone administration failed to stimulate the Mn²⁺/ammonium sulphate-activated RNA-polymerase reaction. Thyroid hormone and testosterone, however, stimulated it but the effect was less pronounced and occurred several hours later than that observed for the Mg²⁺-activated RNA-polymerase reaction. 4. In combination experiments, hypophysectomized or the thyroidectomized rats were given growth hormone or tri-iodothyronine in a single or repeated doses at levels that produced the maximum stimulation of Mg²⁺-activated RNA-polymerase activity. Taking into account the different latent period for each hormone, a single administration of the second hormone caused an additional stimulation of the enzyme activity. Similar additive effects were observed in thyroidectomized–castrated rats after treatment with tri-iodothyronine and testosterone. The magnitude of the additional stimulation caused by the administration of the second hormone was compatible with the capacity of that hormone to promote liver growth in rats deprived of it. 5. It is concluded that, although these hormones have some similar effects, the regulation of nuclear RNA synthesis may be mediated via different routes for each hormone.     

Stimulation of ribonucleic acid polymerase activity in vitro by prostatic steroid–protein receptor complexes

A system has been developed which allows the stimulation in vitro of prostatic RNA polymerase by prostatic 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone-protein receptor complexes prepared from the tissues of castrated rats. The reconstitution in vitro of such a system necessitates the purification of several subcellular components. Two 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone-receptor complexes are located in the prostatic soluble supernatant fraction, separable by selective ammonium sulphate fractionation, and one complex can be isolated from the nuclear fraction. In the presence of all these complexes, stimulation of RNA polymerase in intact nuclei and nucleoli was observed. The complexes also increased the activity of the enzyme solubilized from whole nuclei. Greater stimulation of this system was noted in the presence of prostatic chromatin as template, as compared with that observed with calf thymus DNA or liver chromatin as template. The effects of the complexes on subnuclear forms of RNA polymerase, of nucleolar and extranucleolar origin, are also described. RNA polymerase solubilized from nucleoli is more susceptible to stimulation by the 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone-receptor complexes than is the ;nucleoplasmic' enzyme. Stimulation occurs less readily in the presence of Mn(2+) and at high ionic strength than in the presence of Mg(2+) and at low ionic strength. Preliminary experiments show that prostatic nucleolar RNA polymerase transcribes prostatic chromatin poorly as compared with the nucleoplasmic enzyme. The observations reported indicate an involvement of non-histone proteins associated with DNA in the process by which stimulation of enzyme activity by the 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone-receptor complexes is achieved. The implications of these findings in the mechanism of steroid hormone action is considered.     

Increased activity of plasminogen activators during involution of the rat ventral prostate.

Plasminogen activator was measured in the ventral prostates of non-castrated, castrated, and androgen-treated rats to determine whether changes in this activity correlated with the process of glandular involution. While the activity was very low in cytosolic extracts from the prostates of non-castrated rats, 2 days following castration the plasminogen activator activity increased in a near-linear fashion such that by day 7 it was 10-fold higher in terms of specific activity (per mg of protein) and cellular concentration (per mg of DNA). During this interval there was a rapid decrease in the cell population of the prostates. Treatment of the 7-day castrated rats with the potent androgen, dihydrotestosterone, both reduced the plasminogen activator activity and restored the cell number in a dose-related manner. Gel electrophoretic analysis revealed two major bands of plasminogen activator activity in the cytosolic extracts from 4- and 7-day castrated rats, plus additional minor bands in samples from 10- and 14-day castrated rats. Approx. 10% of the cellular concentration of plasminogen activator activity was recovered in association with an 18000g pellet fraction from the prostates; this fraction showed less heterogeneity of the plasminogen activator forms as observed by gel electrophoresis. Inhibitor studies indicated that the 18000g pellet fraction from the prostates of non-castrated rats possessed some plasminogen activator inhibitor activity, but the relative concentration of the inhibitor activity was small. We conclude that the involution of the prostate is probably associated with increased synthesis of plasminogen activators through a de-repression process which may involve loss of androgen receptors.     

Purification of ribonuclease H as a factor required for initiation of in vitro Co1E1 DNA replication.

Escherichia coli ribonuclease H was purified to near-homogeneity and identified as the only additional factor required for initiation of in vitro Co1E1 DNA replication from the unique origin by RNA polymerase and DNA polymerase I. Both ribonuclease H activity and stimulating activity for Co1E1 DNA synthesis comigrate with the single protein band in gel electrophoresis. These two activities coincide throughout the process of purification. Some DNA synthesis takes place on covalently closed-circular DNA molecules other than Co1E1 DNA with the three purified enzymes. This DNA synthesis is suppressed by an Escherichia coli single-strand DNA binding protein and/or a high concentration of ribonuclease H. Negative superhelicity of template DNA is required for efficient primer formation. No evidence that supports involvement of ribonuclease III in initiation of Co1E1 DNA replication or its regulation was found.     

Inhibition of estrogen-activated sexual behavior by androgens

Experiments to determine the potential of androgen to inhibit estrogen-activated female sexual behavior in rats were conducted. Treatment with either testosterone propionate (0.8 or 1.6 mg/day) or dihydrotestosterone propionate (0.2, 0.4, or 0.8 mg/day) significantly reduced the incidence of lordosis in ovariectomized females receiving estradiol benzoate (1 microgram/day). A similar suppression of estrogen-activated lordosis by testosterone was observed in castrated male rats. Flutamide, an androgen-receptor blocker, prevented the inhibition of lordosis by testosterone in females, indicating that the interaction of testosterone or a metabolite with an androgen receptor may be an important feature of this inhibition. Furthermore, the ability of dihydrotestosterone to inhibit lordosis at lower doses than testosterone suggests that the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone may also be necessary. These experiments demonstrate the potential of testosterone to inhibit the occurrence of female sexual behavior in rats, in contrast to its established facilitative effect on this behavior.     

Absence of hepatic p-nitrophenol UDP-glucuronosyltransferase induction by spironolactone in male rats: possible involvement of testosterone.

This study was performed to determine whether the lack of spironolactone induction of hepatic p-nitrophenol UDP-glucuronosyltransferase in male rats could be attributed to a presumed interaction between spironolactone and testosterone. The effect of spironolactone was evaluated in four experimental groups: normal females, normal males, castrated males, and castrated males that received testosterone. Enzyme activity was measured in native microsomes and in microsomes activated with UDP-N-acetylglucosamine or Triton X-100. When the nucleotide was included in the incubations, it was observed that enzyme activity in castrated male rats decreased to values approaching those obtained in normal females. Treatment of castrated animals with testosterone enhanced enzyme activity so that no significant difference existed between this group and normal males. This suggests that testosterone may act as an endogenous inducer of hepatic p-nitrophenol glucuronidation. It was also found that only females and castrated males showed an increase in enzyme activity in response to spironolactone treatment. Thus, the absence of an additive effect of endogenous or exogenous testosterone and spironolactone on UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity suggests that these compounds could share a common induction mechanism, which appears to reach its maximal capacity in male rats. Possible explanations of this observation are discussed. From the analysis of enzyme activity in native and Triton X-100 activated microsomes, it can be postulated that spironolactone enzyme induction in female and castrated male rats could be attributed to an enhancement in the transferase synthesis rather than to an alteration of the membrane environment.     

Testosterone,androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone: Effects on mating behavior of male rats

The relative effectiveness of testosterone, androstenedione, and dihydrotestosterone in maintaining mating behavior following castration of male rats was studied. In Experiment 1 testosterone, but not dihydrotestosterone, was found to maintain mating. In Experiment 2 testosterone and androstenedione were found to be equally effective in maintaining mating. Dihydrotestosterone failed to maintain mating and was no more effective than no treatment at all. Testosterone, androstenedione, and dihydrotestosterone significantly enhanced seminal vesicle and penis weight. In Experiment 3 castrated male rats were administered radiolabeled testosterone, androstenedione, or dihydrotestosterone. Radioactivity was found in hypothalamic and seminal vesicle samples indicating that these steroids can be accumulated by brain as well as peripheral androgen-sensitive tissues. It was concluded that the peripherally active steroid dihydrotestosterone probably plays no role in the maintenance of sexual behavior.     

Anabolic steroid metabolism in skeletal muscle

Three hundred and sixty male albino rats weighing 180 to 200 g were used to determine the effect of anabolic steroid hormones on adaptive changes in the synthesis of ribosomal RNA both in sedentary animals and in animals involved in a training programme. One injection of Retabolil (0.1 mg/100 g body weight) increased the α-amanitin insensitive RNA polymerase activity of nuclei from skeletal muscles. Fourteen h after this hormone injection the enzyme activity was 45% higher than in control animals and it remained at this level for 4 days. Under these conditions a selective binding of 19-nortestosterone with cytoplasmic proteins of skeletal muscle was found. Physical training increased the RNA polymerase activity by 50% (P < 0.05). It was found that the testosterone binding capacity of a cytoplasmic extract from trained animals was 70% greater than that of the control animals (P < 0.05). Four injections of Retabolil during training resulted in an additional increase of RNA polymerase activity of 40% (P < 0.05) but reduced the testosterone binding capacity of the cytoplasmic proteins that occurred with training by 21%. These results demonstrate the effect of anabolic hormones in the regulations of RNA synthesis in skeletal muscle nuclei in the process of their adaptation to systematic physical training.     

Inhibition of testosterone-induced sexual behavior in the castrated male rat by aromatase blockers

The effect of some aromatase inhibitors (aminoglutethimide, 1,4,6-androstatrien-3, 17-dione, and 4-hydroxy-androstenedione) on testosterone propionate (TP)-induced copulatory behavior was tested in sexually inexperienced castrated male rats. A single injection of 6 mg of TP induced mounting in 48% and ejaculatory pattern in 19% of the rats within 120 hr. Treatment with the aromatase inhibitors (injections every 12 hr for 108 hr) suppressed ejaculation in all but one rat and significantly reduced the number of rats mounting and intromitting. Concurrent administration of estradiol benzoate (EB, 1 or 3 μg every 12 hr) prevented the inhibitory effect of aromatase blockers. No inhibitory effect of the aromatization blockers was observed in rats in which sexual behavior was induced by dihydrotestosterone (1 mg/day) and EB (2.5 μg/day) for 20 days. The results support the concept that aromatization is an essential step for the induction of male sexual behavior by androgen in the rat.     

Effect of estradiol on the metabolism of testosterone by rat prostate

Prostatic tissue from normal, estradiol-treated, and castrated rats was incubated with testosterone, and the metabolites formed were studied. Pretreatment with estradiol-17β did not affect the total amount of testosterone metabolized per unit weight of tissue. In contrast, the total amount of testosterone metabolized was significantly reduced following castration. The formation of dihydrotestosterone (17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3-one; DHT) was not affected by treatment with estradiol, but was significantly reduced by previous castration. Estradiol treatment enhanced the formation of 17-keto metabolites of testosterone by the prostate, giving lower 17-hydroxy to 17-keto ratios than incubations with prostates from control or castrated rats. These results are consistent with the theory that the mechanisms leading to the involution of prostate after estradiol treatment and after castration are different.