Endocrine control and physiology of the prostate.

The endocrine control of prostatic physiology and anatomy is reviewed with emphasis on those factors in the hypothalamus and anterior adenohypophysis which affect the gland either directly or through the testes. The role of circulating estrogens and androgens and their binding to plasma proteins is presented, and the intracellular metabolism of testosterone, particularly in relation to specific receptors, is summarized. The possible significance of intracellular events in prostate cancer development is considered with particular emphasis on those parameters which may reside outside the endocrine effects on the prostatic cells.