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1 Department of Cellular and
Molecular Biology, Southwest Foundation
for Research and Education,
San Antonio, Texas
Prolactin receptor content of ventral prostates
of young mature (4-5-month-old), adult (12-13-month-old), and aged (24-27-month-old) untreated AXC rats was 677 ± 151, 826 ± 242, and
213 ± 59 (P < 0.01, aged versus adult or young
mature) femtomoles per prostate, respectively.
Orchiectomy at 48 hours prior to sacrifice caused
an 80% reduction in ventral prostate prolactin
receptor content in both young mature and
aged rats. Testosterone treatment (2.5 mg/day)
of intact rats for two days increased ventral
prostate prolactin receptor content 59% in aged
rats and 34% in young mature rats. Changes
observed in ventral prostate prolactin receptor
content could not be attributed to differences in
serum prolactin levels, which were identical for
the rats in all treatment groups. Significantly,
prolactin receptors were not demonstrable in
dorsolateral prostate from any of these rats.
The results demonstrate that androgen regulation of ventral prostate prolactin receptors in
aged AXC rats is qualitatively comparable to
that characteristic of ventral prostate of young
mature AXC rats. The greater relative increase
in prolactin receptor levels in aged rats in response to exogenous testosterone suggests
that the marked reduction in prolactin receptors in ventral prostate of intact 24-27-month-old rats may be related to lower plasma
testosterone concentration.
Key words: aging, rat, prostate, receptors, prolactin
Submitted on June 16, 1980
Revised on July 25, 1980
Accepted on July 25, 1980
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