The activation of cultured epididymal tubules by androgens

Abstract

We have studied the influence of androgens, added to the media in which rat epididymal tubules were cultured, upon RNA synthesis. The presence of 1 × 10 −5 M dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the medium during a 3 day culture period induced a 66% increase in the incorporation of 14C-uridine into acid insoluble material. This effect could also be elicited by 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol, a potent androgen, but neither by estradiol-17β nor corticosterone or progesterone. Furthermore, it was blocked by the simultaneous presence of cyproterone acetate in the medium, thus stressing the specific nature of the androgenic stimulation. Twelve and 36 h of exposure to DHT (1 × 10 −6 M) induced an acceleration in the synthesis of 28S RNA accompanied by minor stimulations of the synthesis of 18S and 4S RNA. Androgens also had a pronounced affect on the aggregation of ribosomes into heavy polyribosomes which showed increased activity in protein synthesis. These results are interpreted as indirect evidence for the synthesis of messenger RNA.