Objective To investigate the effect of epristeride on 5-alpha-reductase activity and androgen receptor levels in prostate tissue. Methods Forty patients with benign prostate hyperplasia were randomly divided into the trial group and the control group with 20 in each group. Patients in the trial group were administered oral epristeride and terazosin, while those in the control group were given just terazosin. All patients underwent trans-urethral resection of the prostate after two weeks, and then the 40 samples of prostate were tested immunohistochemically for 5-alpha-reductase activities and androgen receptor levels. Results The 5-alpha-reductase in prostate tissue was not stained or lightly stained in the trial group, while it was heavily stained in the control group. The androgen receptor in prostate tissue was heavily stained in both groups. Conclusion Oral epristeride can inhibit the activity of 5-alpha-redutase in prostate tissue, but it has no obvious effect on the androgen receptor level in prostate tissue.
The level of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) of carcinoma and pericarcinoma tissue were determined in 30 cases of male hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients operated by streptavidin peroxdase conjugated method, meanwhile used 20 patients with benign liver disease as a contrast group. The results showed that the positive rate of AR in tumor tisse was 80.0%, significantly higher than that in peritumor tissue (46.7%) and liver tissue of benign diseases (40.0%), Ｐ＜0.01, and there was no significantly difference between the latter two groups (Ｐ＞0.05). The positive rate of ER in carcinoma tissue (43.3%) was notably lower than that in pericarcinoma tissue (80.0%), Ｐ＜0.01. Statistically significantly difference wasn’t achieved in contrast with the benign diseases group (50.0%), Ｐ＞0.05. The positive rate of PR had no significantly difference among the three groups (Ｐ＞0.05). The authors suggest that sex hormone is related to initializing and developing of HCC by the action via its receptor, the level of AR and ER can be used as a prognosis determine index of HCC.
Objective To investigate the local ization and expression characteristics of androgen receptor (AR) in genital tissue of patients with congenital hypospadias and simple chordee. Methods Between August 2005 and Janury 2007, dorsal prepuce, ventral perimeatal skin, and urethral plate were harvested from 25 patients with congenital hypospadias (aged from 1 year and 11 months to 19 years with an average of 3 years and 7 months) and 4 patients with simple chordee (aged from 3 years and 6 months to 16 years with an average of 7 years and 1 month). Prepuce by circumcision from 18 patients was used as control. The expression intensity and distribution of AR were assessed with mmunohistochemistry. Results AR was expressed in prepuce tissues from congentital hypospadias, simple chordee, and control. The AR positive cell rates were 62.94% ± 5.40% and 62.87% ± 5.33% in dorsal and ventral prepuce of control patients respectively, and were 59.00% ± 3.75%, 58.46% ± 4.14%, and 52.30% ± 3.53% in dorsal prepuce, ventral perimeatal skin, and urethral plate of patients with congenital hypospadias respectively. AR positive cell rate was significantly lower in patients with congenital hypospadias than in control patients (P lt; 0.05), and in urethral plate than in dorsal prepuce and ventral perimeatal skin of patients with congenital hypospadias (P lt; 0.05), and no significant difference was detected between dorsal and ventral specimens (P gt; 0.05). Stratified analysis showed a similar expression mode in severe hypospadias group and severe chordee group (P lt; 0.05). In mild to moderate hypospadias group and mild to moderate chordee group, no significant difference was shown when dorsal and ventral skin specimens were compared to that in normal control (P gt; 0.05), with AR expression diminished in urethral plate (P lt; 0.05), and AR decrease was relative to severity of chordee (P lt; 0.05). The AR positive cell rates were 59.69% ± 2.73%, 55.71% ± 1.67%,and 51.92% ± 1.87% in dorsal, ventral skin, and urethral late of patients with chordee respectively. Reducing tendency of AR expression was observed. Conclusion AR expression decreases in penile skin of patients with congenital hypospadias and simple chordee, especially in urethral plate.
Objective To study the mechanism of nandrolone phenylpropionate (NP) on hepatic albumin mRNA and androgen receptor(AR) in burned rats. Methods Thirty-two Wistar rats with a deep second-degree cutaneous burn of 20% total body surface area were randomly divided into two groups:NP group (experimental group, 5 mg/kg NP) and normal saline as control group every other day. The expression copy quantity of albumin-mRNA and mean integrated absorbency(mIA) of AR in liver tissue were measured by quantitative fluorescent RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively on the 4th, 7 th, 14th and 21st days of post-burned. Result The expression levels of ablumin-mRNA and AR in liver tissue in HP grouop were much higher than those in control group. The ablumin-mRNA and AR expression increased significantly(P lt; 0.05) after 7 and 14 days, whole the expression had no significant difference between NP group and control group on the 4th day. A positive correlation occurred between the expression level of albumin-mRNA and the quantity of AR in liver tissue(r=0.936, P lt; 0.05). Conclusion Nadrolone phenylpropionate up-regulated respectively the expression of albumin-mRNA and the density of AR in liver tissue.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of nandrolone phenylpropionate (NP) on the expression level of pro alpha 1 (I) collagen after burn in rats and the possible mechanism involved in the process. METHODS: Thirty-two Wistar rats with a deep second-degree scald injury and 20% of total body surface area were randomly divided into two groups to receive either 5 mg/kg NP(NP group) or normal saline (control group) every other day. We analyzed the mean integrated optical density(mIOD) of androgen receptor (AR) to determine the distribution and expression of AR in fibroblasts by immunohistochemistry, and measured expression level of pro alpha 1 (I) collagen mRNA by quantitative fluorescent RT-PCR to find the relation between expressions of AR and pro alpha 1 (I) collagen mRNA. The total specimens were obtained from the scalded rats after 4, 7, 14 and 21 of after burn. RESULTS: The expression of pro alpha 1 (I) collagen mRNA in NP group was significantly higher than that in control group on the 7th, 14th and 21st days(P lt; 0.05), but there was no significant difference on the 4th day. The density of AR in fibroblasts had significant difference (P lt; 0.05) between the two groups after 4, 7, 14 and 21 days. A positive relationship existed between the expression of pro alpha 1 (I) collagen mRNA and quantity of AR in fibroblasts(r = 0.836). CONCLUSION: The nandrolone phenylpropionate increased the expression of pro alpha 1 (I) collagen mRNA and enhanced the density of AR in fibroblasts. The higher expression of pro alpha 1 (I) collagen mRNA had a relation with the change of quantity of AR in fibroblasts.
Objective:To observe the effects of testosterone on optic nerve an d retinal ganglion cells (RGC) in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE ). Methods:Fourty one female Wistar rats were randomly divide d into 3 groups: the normal group (10 rats), the untreated control group (15 rats) and the testos terone group (16 rats). The rats in the first two groups were fed with 1% ethano l every day, and the rats in the testosterone group were fed with methyltestoste rone (0.25 mg/kg) every day. On the 20th day, EAE model was induced in the untre ated control group and the testosterone group by injecting guinea pig spinal cor d homogenate in complete Freund's adjuvant and bordetella pertussis vaccine. RGC were labeled with flurogold (FG) by injecting it in superior colliculus and lat eral geniculate body 7 days before establishing EAE model. All rats were fed wit h drugs continuously, and after 1430 days, rats in normal group and rats in un t reated control and testosterone groups who had symptoms within 48～72 hours were observed by light microscopy and flash visual evoked potential (FVEP) to detect the functional and morphological changes of optic nerve. The number of RGC was counted by fluorescence microscopy，and apoptosis of RGC was observed by termina l deoxynucleotidyl transferasemediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling (TUN E L) Results:EAE rats presented weakness or paralysis of tail a nd hind limbs 10 days after establishing EAE model. Compared with the rats in the untreated contr ol group, the rats in the testosterone group had longer disease delitescence and lower clinical score (P=0.042). Extensive demyelination of optic nerves wi th the circuitous configuration was found in the untreated control group; while mild demyelination of optic nerves with regular figure was found in the testosterone group. In the testosterone group, the latency of N1、P and N2 wave was shorter w hile the amplitude ofN1-P and P-N2was higher than that in the untreated cont rol group (Plt;0.05). The number of RGC was (2284plusmn;132), (934plusmn;78, and (1725 plusmn;95)cells/mm2 in the normal, untreated control and testosterone groups, respectively; w hich was higher in testosterone group than that in untreated control group (P=0.028). The number of TUNEL positive cells was (4.02plusmn;0.16), (24.44plusmn;2.22), and (9.84plusmn;2.36) cells per high power field (times;400) in the 3 grou ps, respectively; wh ich was less in testosterone group than that in untreated control group (P＝0.025). Conclusions:Testosterone may reduce the incidence and clinical score of EAE, inhibit the apoptosis of RGC, alleviate the demyelinatio n of optic nerves, and improved the conduction function of optic nerves.
Objective To assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of astragalus injection plus androgen versus androgen alone for patients with aplastic anemia (AA). Methods Such databases as The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2011), PubMed (1966 to March 2011), EMbase (1974 to March 2011), CNKI (1994 to March 2011), VIP (1989 to March 2011) and Wanfang Data (1997 to March 2011) were searched to include the randomized controlled trails (RCTs) according to the inclusive and exclusive criteria. The data were extracted, the quality was assessed, and meta-analysis was conducted by using Revman5.0.24 software. Results Seven RCTs involving 518 patients with AA were included. The meta-analysis showed that the astragalus plus androgen treatment group was superior to the androgen alone group in the total effective rate with significant difference (OR=3.12, 95%CI 2.09 to 4.66, Plt;0.000 01); the adverse events in the treatment group were fewer than those in the control group with significant difference (OR=0.30, 95%CI 0.12 to 0.76, P=0.01); but the promotion degree of myelosis between the two groups was similar without significant difference (OR=1.93, 95%CI 0.85 to 4.38, P=0.11). Conclusion The astragalus plus androgen treatment is superior to the androgen alone treatment in the total effective rate and fewer adverse events. More high-quality trails are required to verify this conclusion due to the low quality and small scale of the included studies.