Steroid hormone receptors and their relevance for sebum production in the sebaceous gland ear model of the Syrian hamster.

We determined the capacity of steroid hormone receptors in the sebaceous glands of intact nontreated, castrated, with testosterone substituted castrated male, intact female, and intact with testosterone substituted female animals using the animal ear model of the Syrian hamster. The steroid hormone binding capacity was compared with the sebaceous gland areas and sebogenesis. Intact male animals showed large sebaceous follicles, a high sebogenesis rate, and high capacity for sexual hormone binding proteins. In castrated males, the sebaceous gland areas and sebogenesis were both diminished, and androgen and estrogen receptors were decreased. When the castrated males were substituted with testosterone propionate, the sebaceous glands showed large volumes, high sebum production, and androgen binding activity again. In female animals having small sebaceous follicles and a low rate of sebogenesis, testosterone propionate enlarged the sebaceous glands and increased sebogenesis and the capacity of androgen binding. One can conclude from these data that testosterone is not only the main hormone for sebum production but also induces the synthesis of its own receptor.