Incorporation and release of tritiated leucine in rat prostate during castration induced involution

Rates of 3H-leucine incorporation into and release from the ventral prostate during castration induced involution were studied in adult male rats. We measured the rate of 3H-leucine incorporation by incubating the prostatic tissue in medium 199 containing 3H-leucine at 37 C for 1 hour. The rate of radioactivity incorporated into the protein fraction was expressed as cpm mg of protein. This rate reduced linearly from Day 0 to Day 6 post castration. Subcutaneous implantation of a silastic capsule containing crystalline testosterone to castrated rats restored the rate of incorporation to that of sham operated rats. To study the rate of 3H-leucine release, 3H-leucine prepared in 0.9 per cent Na C1 solution was injected intravenously into rats 1 day before castration. The amount of radioactivity remaining in the protein fraction of the prostate, expressed as cpm per prostate, was measured at different intervals after castration or after sham operation. Radioactivity disappeared at a significantly faster rate in the prostate of castrated rats than in sham operated controls. Testosterone replacement to castrated rats delayed the rate of loss of radioactivity to a degree similar to that of sham operated rats. These findings indicate that the rapid rate of protein loss in the regressing prostate is the result of a combined action of an accelerated rate of protein degradation and a rate of protein synthesis. Testosterone administration reversed these patterns of protein metabolism.