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This investigation aimed to see whether a change in the oestrogen to androgen ratio alters prostate contractility. Isolated organ bath studies using prostates from aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice which were homozygous (ArKO−/−) and heterozygous (ArKO+/−) for the disrupted aromatase cyp19 gene and wild-type littermates (ArKO+/+) were conducted. The distribution of noradrenergic nerves was visualized using the sucrose–potassium phosphate–glyoxylic acid method. ArKO−/− mice had increased prostate weights compared with ArKO+/+ mice. Frequency–response curves to electrical field stimulation (EFS; 0.5 ms pulse duration, 60 V, 0.1–20 Hz) yielded frequency-dependent contractions, while noradrenaline (10 nM–1 mM) and tyramine (1 μM–1 mM) produced concentration-dependent contractions. Prazosin (0.3 μM) attenuated the responses induced by noradrenaline and EFS in all mice (P≤0.019, n=5–7), while cocaine (10 μM) attenuated the responses evoked by tyramine (P<0.001, n=6). There were no genotype differences in EFS- and noradrenaline-induced responses (P≥0.506, n=10–13). Prostates from ArKO−/− and ArKO+/− mice were more sensitive to tyramine than prostates from ArKO+/+ mice (P<0.001, n=11–13). Dense adrenergic innervation of the prostate was similar in all mice. These results suggest that although the absence of aromatase increases prostatic growth, this translates only to a subtle and selective increase in contractility in mature mice.

The cardiovascular system is an important target for thyroid hormones. The present study evaluates the changes affecting thyroid hormone metabolism during and 6 days after coronary artery bypass and their relationship with the post-operative outcome of the patients. Thirty-three patients were enrolled in the study; their thyroid hormone profiles were determined at 13 sampling points during surgery and for 6 days afterwards. Serum total tri-iodothyronine (T3) and free T3 (FT3) concentrations decreased significantly after surgery (P<0.001) and they remained significantly low until the end of the study. Free thyroxine (FT4) and T4 declined significantly immediately after surgery (P<0.05 for FT4, P<0.001 for T4) but they returned to baseline values (24 h and 96 h post-surgery respectively). Serum reverse T3 increased remarkably 36 h after surgery (P<0.001) and remained significantly higher than the baseline value throughout the study. A relevant finding was that the days of post-operative hospitalization (10+/-3 days, means+/-S.D.) was inversely correlated with the slope of the recovery of T3 concentration (P<0.001) or with the area under the plasma curves of T3 (P=0.024, time range 72-144 h) and the FT3/FT4 ratio (P=0.037, time range 72-144 h) during the post-operative period. Our data suggest a prolonged reduction of T4 to T3 conversion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and indicate that the recovery period is the most critical in the evaluation of a possibly successful approach for T3 substitutive therapy.