Androgen Regulation of a Specific Gene in Hamster Flank Organs

In the 1991 study, researchers explored how androgens regulate a specific gene in the flank organs of Golden Syrian hamsters. They found that castration significantly reduced mRNA levels, but these levels could be restored with testosterone and dihydrotestosterone application. Topical testosterone reactivated mRNA levels within 24 hours, with full reactivation achieved by testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, partial reactivation by androstanedione and androstenedione, and no activation by androstanediol or dehydroepiandrosterone. Progesterone was found to inhibit mRNA expression when combined with testosterone but not with dihydrotestosterone. The study demonstrated that dot blot hybridization is an effective method for studying androgen action on DNA and for testing the androgenic potency of steroids, despite the labor-intensive RNA extraction and the use of isotopes.