Abstract
Human fetal epiphyseal chondrocytes were obtained in primary culture (Ped. Res. 19:720, 1985). In this system testosterone (T) was metabolized into androstendione and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 58:819, 1984) and we have recently shown that DHT significantly stimulates chondrocyte proliferation.
In order to study the mechanism of androgen action on human fetal epiphyseal chondrocytes, cells have been incubated with DHT-3H (0.1 - 9 × 10−9M) with and without 200-fold unlabelled DHT for 30 at 37°C. Cells were sonicated in Tris 0.02M-HCl pH=7.5, 0.5 M KCl, 1.5 mM EDTA, 2 mM Mercaptoethanol. Unbound DHT was separated with DCC Buffer. Maximal binding capacity and Kd were calculated according to a Scatchard plot. In chondrocytes from fetuses (20-40 weeks-old; 4 ♂ and 4 ♀) Bmax in ♂ is 4.2 ∓ 1.2 fmol/mg Prot. and in ♀ 5.5 ∓ 0.5; Kd is 0.34 ∓ 0.14 nM in ♂ and 0.65 ∓ 0.21 in ♀. No difference was found for sex nor for gestational age .
Human fetal epiphyseal chondrocytes in primary culture seem therefore to present proteins which may act as typical specific androgen receptors. These results suggest that biological activity of androgens on human fetal epiphyseal chondrocytes in culture may be mediated through specific receptors.
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Audi, L., Carrascosa, A., Yeste, D. et al. SPECIFIC ANDROGEN BINDING IN HUMAN FETAL EPIPHYSEAL CHONDROCYTES IN CULTURE. Pediatr Res 20, 1199 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198611000-00152
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198611000-00152