Journal of Andrology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Published-Ahead-of-Print May 23, 2007, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.107.002873
Journal of Andrology, Vol. 28, No. 5, September/October 2007
Copyright © American Society of Andrology
DOI: 10.2164/jandrol.107.002873

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
28/5/777    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Antonioli, E.
Right arrow Articles by Carvalho, H. F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Antonioli, E.
Right arrow Articles by Carvalho, H. F.

Effects of Long-Term Castration on the Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype of the Rat Ventral Prostate

ELIANE ANTONIOLI, ALEXANDRE BRUNI CARDOSO AND HERNANDES F. CARVALHO

From the Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas SP, Brazil.

Correspondence to: Hernandes F. Carvalho, Department of Cell Biology, UNICAMP, CP6109, 13083-863 Campinas SP, Brazil (e-mail: hern{at}unicamp.br).


Smooth muscle (SM) is an important component of the prostatic stroma. We previously showed that, despite extensive morphologic changes, smooth muscle cells (SMCs) of the rat ventral prostate preserve some differentiation markers 21 days after castration. In the present study, we investigated whether the expression of SMC markers is preserved in the rat ventral prostate after long-term castration. Adult Wistar rats were castrated and sacrificed 100 days after surgery. The ventral prostates were processed for histology, stereology, immunocytochemistry (SM {alpha}-actin and SM-myosin heavy chain [MHC]), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (smoothelin, sm22, and calponin). The prostates of castrated rats showed significant weight reduction, corresponding to only 5.6% of the control. Stereology showed that SMCs occupied the same proportion of the prostate volume but suffered a significant reduction in absolute volume (5.5% of control). The SMCs were retracted and showed spinous outlines. TEM revealed the presence of an abundant myofibrillar component, dense plaques, and an external lamina in these cells. SMCs were reactive to antibodies against SM {alpha}-actin and SM-MHC and expressed mRNA for smoothelin, sm22, and calponin. The results confirmed that rat prostatic SMCs are affected by androgen deprivation. Although showing marked phenotypic changes, these cells expressed SMC markers at the protein (SM {alpha}-actin and SM-MHC) and mRNA (smoothelin, sm22, and calponin) levels. These observations support the idea that SMCs may modulate their phenotypes (contractile vs synthetic) without changing their differentiation states.

     Key words: Calponin, myosin heavy chain, sm22, smoothelin




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
X. Zhang, N. Zang, Y. Wei, J. Yin, R. Teng, A. Seftel, and M. E. DiSanto
Testosterone regulates smooth muscle contractile pathways in the rat prostate: emphasis on PDE5 signaling
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, January 1, 2012; 302(2): E243 - E253.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J AndrolHome page
D. M. Damas-Souza, C. A. Oliveira, and H. F. Carvalho
Insulin Affects Tissue Organization and the Kinetics of Epithelial Cell Death in the Rat Ventral Prostate After Castration
J Androl, November 1, 2010; 31(6): 631 - 640.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2007 by The American Society of Andrology.