Incorporation of 3H-thymidine into rat ventral prostate in organ culture. Influence of hormone-cytostatic complexes.

The effects of hormones, hormone-cytostatic complexes, and their derivatives on 3H-thymidine incorporation in explants of rat ventral prostate and rat uterus have been studied. The histologic appearance has also been used as a parameter of investigation and the results were in good agreement with 3H-thymidine incorporation. The results showed that when a nitrogen mustard was linked in position 3 to estradiol-17beta-phosphate (Estracyt), this complex had a profound inhibitory effect on growth of rat ventral prostate explants, far more pronounced than that seen by estradiol-17beta. The active nor-nitrogen mustard (LEO72a) alone also had a profound inhibitory effect, while a complex consisting of the nitrogen mustard linked in position 17 to dihydrotestosterone (DHT-17cyt) showed no inhibition. The possible intracellular mechanisms of action of the hormone-cytostatic complexes are discussed.