Effects of testosterone on GDNF mRNA expression in rat ventral prostate / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of testosterone on GDNF(glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor) expression in rat ventral prostate.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 3 groups, group A(n = 8, sham operation, uncastrated controls), group B (n = 8, castrated), group C (n = 8, castrated and given testosterone undecanoate (TU) 50 mg/kg by intramuscular injection). Ventral prostate tissues removed from adult male rats at 3 days after operation were analyzed for the expression of GDNF mRNA by semiquantitative RT-PCR assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ventral prostate tissues shrank remarkably in the castrated rats, and prostatic hyperplasia accurred in those that had received both castration and testosterone undecanoate. GDNF mRNA expressed in the normal rats ventral prostates, and the prostatic expression of GDNF mRNA decreased significantly at 3 days after castration(P < 0.05), but increased significantly (P < 0.05) in those that had received both castration and TU.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The gene expression of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor in the ventral prostate of rats is dependent on testosterone, and GDNF is involved in the growth of rat ventral prostate.</p>