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Friday, 9 January 2015

How Estrogen Affects the Male Prostate Gland


on 05:10

How Estrogen Affects the Male Prostate Gland

 | By Karen Hellesvig-Gaskell

Prostate Development and Estrogen

The prostate is a male sex gland that produces semen. Semen is a white or gray liquid that's emitted from the urethra (tube in the penis) during ejaculation. According to the Mayo Clinic, the prostate gland at the time of birth is no larger than a kernel of corn.

It is not uncommon for middle-aged men to experience prostate growth. By the time a man has reached age 25, the prostate is about the size of a walnut. During the mid to late 40s cells in the middle section of the prostate reproduce at an accelerated pace, causing the sex gland to enlarge. Prostate enlargement, referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), may put stress on the urethra and block the flow of urine.

The Mayo Clinic says it remains unclear exactly what causes the prostate to enlarge. It's theorized that as a man ages, hormonal changes in both his testosterone and estrogen levels may encourage the prostate to expand. Estrogen is regarded as a female hormone but it also has a function in the development of the prostate gland.

Prostate Enlargement and Estrogen

Australian scientists say preliminary results from animal studies found that an experimental drug that regulates estrogen may help keep the prostate gland from growing in older men.

Researchers used transgenic mice to test the drug. Transgenic mice contain additional foreign DNA in every cell permitting them to be used to examine gene function and to model human diseases.

The scientists discovered that adjusting the estrogen receptor beta averted benign prostate hyperplasia from developing. The estrogen-regulating medication has yet to be tested on humans but researchers called the results of the animal studies very promising.

The findings of the study were announced at the Society for Endocrinology medical conference in London in 2006.

Prostate Cancer and Estrogen

A recent study led by a Weill Cornell Medical College scientist determined that estrogen is a major factor in about 50 percent of all prostate cancers. Dr. Mark Rubin, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Weill Cornell in New York City said estrogen-associated gestures help propel a hard-hitting form of prostate cancer caused by a chromosomal translocation. A chromosomal translocation occurs when a fragment of one chromosome breaks off and is attached to another. Cancer and other medical problems can develop depending on which piece of chromosome is moved to and to where.

Dr. Rubin said these findings suggest that inhibiting estrogen may help in the fight against prostate cancer. The results of the study were published in the May, 2008 online edition of the National Cancer Institute.

About Mosle Colman

He is a Blogger and Computer Systems Analyst.

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