To investigate the antiandrogenic action of cimetidine in vivo, prostatic androgen uptake and metabolism, spermatogenesis, morphology of the prostate and testes, and plasma hormone levels were studied using Sprague-Dawley rats, and the results were compared with the effects of cyproterone acetate or castration. Cimetidine and cyproterone acetate caused significant reduction in the weights of the ventral prostate and testes. The changes of ventral prostate were accompanied by a dose-related epithelial atrophy. No adverse effect on spermatogenesis was observed after treatment with cimetidine at daily doses of 50 mg/kg or cyproterone acetate of 10 mg/kg. Although cimetidine treatment induced a significant decrease in plasma testosterone levels, the uptake of testosterone-3H and its conversion to DHT of the ventral prostate were not inhibited by cimetidine.