Figure 4.

Inhibition of Odc1 by α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) blocks testosterone’s effects on the prostate while retaining its anabolic effects on the muscle. Adult male intact and castrated mice were treated for 2 weeks with vehicle or testosterone with and without DFMO, a specific Odc1 inhibitor, as follows: intact, castrated (Cx), castrated + 15 μg per day T (Cx + T), castrated + 15 μg per day T + 15 μg per day DFMO (Cx + T + DFMO). (A) levator ani weights in mice treated with testosterone plus DFMO were similar to those in intact controls and testosterone-treated castrated mice. (B) Prostate weights in castrated mice were lower than in intact controls and were restored by testosterone administration to levels seen in intact mice. Mice treated with testosterone plus DFMO had significantly lower prostate weights than intact controls or castrated mice treated with testosterone alone, but not significantly different from those in castrated mice treated with vehicle alone. (C) Histological sections of prostate reveal marked involution of prostate glands in castrated mice, but not in testosterone-treated castrated mice. Administration of testosterone plus DFMO in castrated mice failed to prevent castration-associated involution of prostate glands and changes in epithelial layers. Nine sections per group were examined, and representative images are shown *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01.