[Androgen receptors. Their value in physiopathological investigations in man]

There is less knowledge of androgen receptors than of oestrogen receptors but, in recent years, important progress has been made. The author thus describes the physico-chemical properties of the androgen receptors. He discusses also the problems raised by their estimation. The exchange techniques are practically unusable as the androgen receptors are easily destroyed even at 15 degrees C. The author proposes and describes another method which isolates the hormone-receptor complex with protamine sulphate. He also considers the prospects of these receptor estimations in prostatic disease, e.g. androgen-dependent adenoma. The absence of androgen receptors in testicular feminisation syndrome finally permits excellent illustration of the importance of the study of receptors in the understanding of cellular insensivity to a hormone.