Effects of Hypophysectomy and Prolactin Replacement Therapy on Prostatic Response to Androgen in Orchiectomized Rats

Abstract
When rats castrated on Day minus 23 (D-23) are hypophysectomized (D-13) and treated with testosterone propionate (1.0 mg every other day for 16 days; (D-0 is the first day of testosterone propionate treatment) the body weight, prostatic weight and citric acid level of the prostate decrease more than those of testosterone-treated, castrated, sham-hypophysectomized rats. Such observations imply the involvement of a pituitary factor in the maintenance of prostatic integrity. More direct evidence is obtained when prolactin replacement therapy (50 units daily for the last 13 days) in hypophysectomized, castrated, testosterone-treated rats increases the prostatic weight and both content and concentration of citric acid significantly and the body weight slightly.