前列腺对激素的依赖性现已明确,但激素控制生长的准确机制尚未弄清。雄激素和雌激素在控制前列腺正常生长中起主要作用。输精管切除术并不改变循环中睾酮或DHT的浓度;也不改变其它血清类固醇激素水平如雄烯二酮、脱氢表雄酮、皮质醇、孕酮和雌二醇;也不影响垂体-性腺轴,故血浆LH和FSH水平均不超出正常水平。作者在24例输精管切除术患者中研究了这一手术对非增生前列腺体积的影响。比较术前和术后3个月,经直肠超声测定的前列腺体积,作者发现前列腺的尿道周围部分体积非常明显地缩小(P<0.01),前列腺外周带体积无明显改变(P>0.1)。作者认为这可能意味着前列腺不是一个功能均一 The hormone dependence of the prostate is now clear, but the exact mechanism by which hormones control growth has not yet been clarified. Androgens and estrogens play a major role in controlling normal prostate growth. Vasectomy does not alter circulating concentrations of testosterone or DHT; nor does it alter other levels of serum steroid hormones such as androstenedione, DHEA, cortisol, progesterone and estradiol; it does not affect pituitary-gonadal Axis, so the plasma LH and FSH levels are not beyond the normal level. The authors studied the effect of this procedure on the volume of nonproliferative prostate glands in 24 patients undergoing vasectomy. Comparing the prostate volume measured by transrectal ultrasound before and 3 months after operation, the authors found that the volume of the periurethral part of the prostate was significantly reduced (P <0.01) and the volume of the peripheral zone of the prostate did not change significantly (P> 0.1). The authors think this may mean that the prostate is not a homogeneous function