Stabilization of androgen receptor by nonandrogenic steroids.

Binding of androgens including 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, testosterone and androstenedione stabilized the androgen receptor from rat submandibular gland with respect to its [3H]methyltrienolone binding activity. Nonandrogenic steroids, 0.5 microM of progesterone and estradiol-17 beta, or 5 microM of triamcinolone acetonide also satisfactorily stabilized the androgen receptor. These results suggest that the association of ligands, even if those ligands were not stereospecific for the androgen receptor, stabilizes the androgen receptor and prevents the loss of its binding capacity.