EPITESTOSTERONE IN HUMAN BLOOD AND PROSTATIC TISSUE

Epitestosterone, a C-19-steroid with anti-androgenic activity, was det ermined in the plasma of 234 boys and men from the ages of 6-86 years, and in the prostate tissue of 15 men 55-82 years of age. It was docum ented that, while in adulthood the concentration of epitestosterone is about ten times lower than the concentration of testosterone, in the pre-pubertal period the level of epitestosterone is similar or even hi gher than that of testosterone. In the hyperplastic prostate tissue th e content of epitestosterone is comparable to that of androstenedione, it is about twice as high as the content of testosterone and approxim ately half that of the content of dihydrotestosterone. At least in the case of pre-pubertal boys and in the prostatic tissue it is therefore possible to include epitestosterone into consideration as a regulator y factor for the androgen-dependent events.