ABSTRACT
The aim was to characterize and correlate steroid hormone receptors with the FGF2, FGF7 and FGF8 reactivities in the prostatic epithelium and stroma in senile rats. Fifty male senile rats and 10 young male rats were divided into the young (YNG), the senile groups (SE), the castrated group (CAS), the estrogen-deficient group (ED), the castrated + estrogen group (CASE), and the estrogen-deficient + androgen group (EDTEST). The ventral prostate was submitted to immunohistochemical and Western blotting analyses. The results showed decreased AR and ERß levels and increased ERα in the senile animals in relation to YNG group. Increased ERα and ERß reactivities presenting differential localization were characterized in the CASE group compared to the CAS group. Increased FGF2 level was observed in the stroma of the CAS and ED groups in relation to the SE group and in the epithelium of the ED group in relation to the other groups. Increased and differential immunolocalization of FGF7 levels were observed in the CAS, ED and CASE groups. The FGF8 levels showed differential localization in the CAS and ED groups compared to the senile group. The intense hormone ablation was favorable to the autocrine signaling of FGF2 and FGF8. FGF7 could be activated in the androgen-independent via considering the increased FGF7 in the castrated rats. We concluded that hormone ablation in senescence was favorable to activation or/and to fibroblast signaling in the prostatic microenvironment.
Subject(s)
Aging/metabolism , Cellular Microenvironment , Fibroblast Growth Factors/metabolism , Gonadal Steroid Hormones/metabolism , Prostate/cytology , Prostate/metabolism , Animals , Estrogens/deficiency , Fibroblast Growth Factors/analysis , Gonadal Steroid Hormones/analysis , Male , Orchiectomy , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Receptors, Androgen/analysis , Receptors, Androgen/metabolism , Receptors, Estrogen/analysis , Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism , Testosterone/analysis , Testosterone/metabolismABSTRACT
The diabetes causes alterations in various organ systems, including the male accessory sex glands. The prostate is very important in the reproductive process and it is a frequent target of malignant changes. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the histochemical and ultrastructural alterations in the prostate of diabetic animals. Two groups of animals were utilized: control and non-obese diabetic mice (NOD). Twelve days after the characterization of diabetic status the ventral prostate was collected, fixed in Karnovsky and paraformaldehyde, processed for histochemistry and TEM associated to stereology. The results showed reduction of the epithelial area and increasing of the stromal area with muscular and collagen hypertrophy in the prostatic gland. It was characterized the development of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, inflammatory processes and dilation of the organelles involved in the secretory process. It was concluded that diabetes besides damaging the reproductive process, affects the glandular homeostasis favoring the development of prostatic pathologies.
