Word: androtin
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...absolutely conclusive" arguments for the presence of two testicular hormones. In a benzene solution an extract prepared from the gonads produces the well-known hormone which is responsible for the development and maintenance of the secondary male sex characteristics (beard, voice, chest hair, etc. etc.). It is called "androtin" from the Greek root andros (man). Dr. McCullagh made a water solution of the same extract, found it acted directly upon the pituitary gland (which androtin does not), and so concluded that he had found a new hormone. He called it "inhibin," from the Latin verb inhibere (to restrain...
...overactivity. Dr. McCullagh found that by feeding his inhibin to rats this pituitary hyperfunction could be prevented. He concluded that probably prostatic hypertrophy is caused by 1) breakdown of the testicular cells producing inhibin, the absence of which 2) causes pituitary overactivity, which in turn 3) stimulates the androtin-producing cells of the gonads to sufficient activity to bring about 4) enlargement of the prostate gland. If this is true, prostatic hypertrophy can take place only when the inhibin-producing cells fail before the androtin-producing cells of the same glands. Then enlargement of the prostate may be cured...
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