Urolog. pro Praxi, 2005; 6: 264-268

THE RELATION BETWEEN PROLACTIN AND TESTOSTERONE IN MEN WITH SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION

MUDr. Zbyněk Veselský Ph.D

Urocentrum Praha, s.r.o

Finding of hyperprolactinaemia in men with sexual dysfunction leads to a question about his effect on men’s sexuality, its relationship to testosterone and its effect on target tissues. Despite the pathologic secretion (overproduction usually) of prolactin is quite frequent phenomenon during the lifetime, it is usually asymptomatic in men and resolves spontaneously. There are approximately 70 causes of hyperprolactinaemia according to The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (USA), from the diagnostically and therapeutically clear ones (e.g. hypophyseal adenoma) to those not so clearly defined (especially with regards to aetiology) cases (such as chest contusion or presence of scars). Despite all that, hyperprolactinaemia is a phenomenon encountered by urologists in the laboratory diagnosis of men’s sexual dysfunction. Prolactin is an important marker of male’s sexual appetite and significant inhibitor of the testosterone action in its target tissues. Especially its effect on 5-alpha reductase makes us think of possible protection of organism against testosterone-dependent diseases (carcinoma of prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia in urology).

Keywords: Key words: prolactin, testosterone, sexual dysfunction, erectile dysfunction.

Published: January 1, 2006  Show citation