Tissue evidence of the testosterone role on the abnormal growth and aging effects reversion in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) prostate

Abstract

Prostate differentiation during embryogenesis and its further homeostatic state maintenance during adult life depend on androgens. Abundant biological data suggest that androgens play an important role in the development of the prostate cancer and other prostatic diseases. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the testosterone supplementation in gerbil (a new experimental model) at different ages. Tissues from experimental animals were studied by histological and histochemistry procedures, androgen receptor immunohistochemistry assay, morphometricstereological analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After the treatment were observed increase of prostate weight and epithelium height in all ages studied. In some adult and aged treated animals, hyperplasic and displasic process were observed, including prostatic intraepithelial neoplasias and adenocarcinomas. Increase of the thickness of the smooth muscle cell (SMC) layer was observed in pubescent and adult animals and TEM revealed apparent SMC hypertrophy. An apparent increase in the frequency of blood vessels distributed by the subepithelial stroma in the treated animals was noticed. Reversion of the natural effects of aging on the prostate was observed in the aged treated animals in some acini of the gland. These data demonstrate that the gerbil prostate is susceptible to androgenic action at the studied ages and it can serve, for example, as experimental model to studies of prostate neoplasic process induction and hormonal therapy in aged animals. Anat Rec Part A, 288A:1190-1200, 2006.2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Key words: testosterone; prostate; stroma; epithelium; gerbil Androgens are steroid hormones that induce the differentiation and maturation of the male reproductive organs and the development of the male secondary sex characteristics. Prostate differentiation during embryogenesis and its further homeostatic state maintenance during adult life depend on androgens. The normal prostatic epithelium is composed of different cells types that have varying androgen sensitivities, including androgen-independent basal stem cells, androgen-dependent luminal secretory cells, and androgen-independent but androgen-sensitive

Experimental endocrine therapies promote epithelial cytodifferentiation and ciliogenesis in the gerbil female prostate

“…The ectopic presence of these cells is probably related to an anomalous cytodifferentiation of the female prostatic basal cells under the influence of a hormonal imbalance. This hypothesis is also reinforced by the absence of this phenomenon in male prostate subjected to hormonal therapies (Corradi et al 2004;Scarano et al 2006;Oliveira et al 2007). …”

Key participants of the tumor microenvironment of the prostate: An approach of the structural dynamic of cellular elements and extracellular matrix components during epithelial–stromal transition

“…However, after 6 months, there was a dramatic increase in tumor multiplicity in the ventral lobe mainly in MNU+Testosterone treated group. The increase in lesions during treatment were also observed by Scarano et al, (2006) in aged gerbil treated with testosterone, but the authors also believe that the androgen promoted the reversion of the natural effects of aging on the prostate in some animals. On the other hand, different types of hormonal ablation (orchiectomy, cyproterone acetate, flutamide and/or tamoxifen administration or blockade of the steroid metabolizing enzymes) at different ages showed that this rodent model is also extremely dependent on serum levels of testosterone (Corradi et al, 2004(Corradi et al, , 2009Oliveira et al, 2007;Cordeiro et al, 2008;Campos et al, 2010Campos et al, , 2011.…”

“…This model has been providing a good alternative to study the alterations that occur in the stromal microenvironment of the prostate gland during carcinogenesis, since it develops spontaneous neoplasias (Pegorin de Campos et al, 2006;Campos et al, 2008;Custodio et al, 2008) and induced neoplasia (Gonç alves et al, , 2013 in a relevant number of individuals, presenting significant responses regarding hormonal treatment (Santos et al, 2006;Scarano et al, 2006Scarano et al, , 2008Oliveira et al, 2007).…”

Progesterone as a morphological regulatory factor of the male and female gerbil prostate

“…Because testosterone is essential for both the development and structural maintenance of the prostate gland, the occurrence of high serum levels of this hormone along with the AR cells increases in this group, which provides a suitable physiological environment for the glandular hypertrophy (Scarano et al 2006;Prins & Putz 2008). Because testosterone is essential for both the development and structural maintenance of the prostate gland, the occurrence of high serum levels of this hormone along with the AR cells increases in this group, which provides a suitable physiological environment for the glandular hypertrophy (Scarano et al 2006;Prins & Putz 2008).…”