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Measurement of Inhibin Concentrations in Men: Study of Changes after Castration and Comparison with Androgen Levels in Testicular Tissue, Spermatic Venous Blood, and Peripheral Venous Blood

Department of Urology, Showa University School of Medicine, (H.I., H.T., M.W., N.F., H.Y., K.I.) Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku
The Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo (S.M., M.S., K.F., Y.A.) Kongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
The Department of Anatomy, Monash University (D.M.d.K.) Clayton, Victoria, Australia

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: H. Ishida, Department of Urology, Showa University School of Medicine, Hatanodai 1-5-8, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142, Japan.

We measured serum inhibin levels in eight untreated patients with prostatic cancer undergoing castration by RIA using an antiserum against 31-kDa bovine follicular fluid inhibin. The inhibin concentrations in testicular tissue and spermatic venous blood were also measured in six of these patients. Serum inhibin levels (mean ± SD, 377.8 ± 212.1 U/L), declined rapidly after castration (15 min after, 233 ± 171.4; 30 min, 224.6 ± 156.6; 1 h, 181.5 ± 95.9; 2 h, 174.3 ± 69.4; 4 h, 122 ± 6.4; 6 h, <120). High concentrations of inhibin were detected n i testicular tissue (31,360 ± 15,180 U/kg), and the levels in spermatic venous blood (3,178.3 ± 1,386.8 U/L) were approximately 10 times greater than those in peripheral blood (385.5 ± 233.1 U/L). Testosterone levels were 1,968.2 ± 992.3 nmol/kg in testicular tissue and approximately 100 times greater in spermatic venous blood (1,631.6 ± 389.7 nmol/L) than in peripheral blood (18.0 ± 4.4 nmol/L). These results suggest that circulating inhibin in men mainly originates from testis and that one of the routes of secretion is via the bloodstream.

Received June 13, 1989.

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