Na+,K(+)-ATPase: the actual androgen receptor of the prostate?

While the nucleus may play a secondary role in androgen regulation of prostatic functional and structural development, I propose that, in the fully developed gland, the pace of all metabolism, biosynthesis, secretion and reparative proliferation in the gland is coupled to and set by the action of androgen on the Na+,K(+)-ATPase of the plasma membrane. This report identifies the three questions which must be asked and affirmatively answered to verify this hypothesis: 1. Straightforward procedures for the unambiguous demonstration of the coupling of (Na+,K+)-ATPase activity to glycolysis, oxidative metabolism, protein synthesis, cell alkalinization and citrate synthesis/secretion and that addition of androgen in vitro boosts the rates of the enzyme and all its coupled processes. 2. Demonstration that the stimulatory effect of the androgen is on the specific catalytic activity of each (Na+,K+)-ATPase molecule, not on the number of these enzyme units present. 3. Provision of means to show a likely mechanism for this activation; viz. shift in enzyme conformation.