Autoradiographic studies of 3H-estramustine in the rat ventral prostate

The alkylating agent 3H-estramustine was administered to castrated male rats and found to accumulate in the epithelium of the ventral prostate 5 and 20 min. following intravenous administration, as judged from autoradiography. Four hrs. after intravenous injection of this isotope, the radioactivity was recovered in the secretion of the prostatic lobuli. A preferential accumulation of radioactivity in prostatic secretion was also observed 2 hrs. after intramuscular administration of 3H-estramustine to intact or castrated rats. In contrast, 3H-oestradiol and 3H-testosterone, which were also taken up by the ventral prostatic epithelium, were not recovered in prostatic secretion. The present results indicate that 3H-estramustine is secreted from the prostatic cells into the lumina of the prostatic lobuli. It is speculated that a recently detected estramustine-binding protein in rat ventral prostate may be involved in this process and that the present finding may be of relevance in the understanding of the mechanism of action of the chemotherapeutic agent Estracyt (estramustine phosphate) used in the treatment of advanced prostatic carcinoma.