CALCITONIN RELEASES ACID-PHOSPHATASE FROM RAT VENTRAL PROSTATE EXPLANTS

Inclusion of salmon calcitonin in the culture medium of rat ventral pr ostate explants diminished l-tartarate-sensitive acid phosphatase acti vity in the tissues with a concomitant increment of the enzyme activit y in the medium. The effect of the hormone was dose-dependent for a do se range of 10(-12) - 10(-6) M. Acid phosphatase activity in prostate explants decreased from 38.6 +/- 3.5 to 20.5 +/- 2.8, whereas it incre ased from 0.60 +/- 0.15 to 2.80 +/- 0.40 nmol p-nitrophenol liberated/ mg protein/30 min in the culture medium. Tissues exposed to 10(-6) M s almon calcitonin had higher acetylcholinesterase activity (8.8 +/- 0.7 ) than non-exposed ones (6.2 +/- 0.5 mu mol substrate hydrolyzed/g tis sue/min). These results suggest that locally produced calcitonin cause s a release for prostatic acid phosphatase from prostate tissues possi bly through its interaction with the cholinergic system.