Androgen-Induced Norepinephrine Release in Male Accessory Sex Organ Smooth Muscle Growth and Differentiation
October 2019
TLDR Androgens increase norepinephrine release, promoting smooth muscle growth in male sex organs, which may contribute to benign prostatic hypertrophy.
This dissertation investigated the role of norepinephrine (NE) in androgen-dependent growth and differentiation of male accessory sex organ smooth muscle, using guinea pig seminal vesicles as a model. Androgens were found to significantly increase DNA synthesis, total DNA, and NE release while down-regulating protein kinase C (PKC) in prepubertal smooth muscle. NE release was quantified, and a decrease in alpha2-adrenoceptor concentration suggested reduced feedback as a mechanism. NE depletion antagonized androgen-induced DNA increases and PKC down-regulation. In adults, NE release remained elevated, but PKC levels returned to prepubertal levels, indicating NE's role in proliferation was limited to puberty. The findings suggested that benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) might result from defective uncoupling between NE release and PKC activation, proposing new pharmacological therapies targeting these pathways.
