Abstract
Summary
Aged beagles with enlarged prostates were given daily subcutaneous injections of the anti-androgen, 6α, 7α-difluoro-methylene-4',5'-dihydro-lα,2α-methylene-(17 R)-spiro-[androst-4-ene-17,2'-(3'H)-furan]-3-one, Compound I, at levels of 0.33 or 1.0 mg/kg body weight for a period of thirty-five days. Similar dogs were given a daily oral dose of 2 mg/kg body weight for forty-eight days. A comparison of prostate measurements taken before and after treatment revealed that all treatments caused a very marked reduction in size of the gland. The prostate regression persisted over a four-month post-treatment follow-up period in the two dogs which had been treated for forty-eight days.
Histologically, treatment was associated with decreased epithelial cell height, less glandular secretion and increased fibrosis of the prostate.
Neither Leydig cells nor spermatogenesis was affected by treatment, indicating that gonadotrophins were not inhibited and also suggesting that Compound I does not act at the hypothalamic or pituitary level.
The aid of Dr. A. Segaloff in the interpretation of histological material is gratefully acknowledged.
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