Apoptosis and related genes in the rat ventral prostate following androgen ablation in response to ethane dimethanesulfonate
✍ Scribed by Woolveridge, Ian; Taylor, Matthew F.; Wu, Fred C.W.; Morris, Ian D.
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 305 KB
- Volume
- 36
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0270-4137
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✦ Synopsis
BACKGROUND. Following androgen withdrawal, regression of the prostate is characterized by apoptotic cell death. The molecular events governing this process have not been fully characterized. METHODS. Using ethane-1,2-dimethanesulfonate (EDS) to induce androgen ablation, we investigated the role of the Bcl-2 family members and Fas pathway in this phenomenon. Prostates were examined from adult male rats injected with 100 mg/kg EDS and killed 2, 5, and 8 days later. RESULTS. Regression of the prostate was evident as a time-dependent decrease in weight. The number of apoptotic cells identified by in situ end labeling was maximal after 5 days of treatment. There was no statistically significant change in the expression of Bax, Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, or p53 following androgen withdrawal. In contrast, 5 days post-EDS treatment, testosteronerepressed prostate message (TRPM-2) and Fas-R expression were induced. There was a decline in Fas-L levels 8 days after EDS administration. CONCLUSIONS. This study extends previous work which has shown that androgen withdrawal induces apoptosis in the prostate. We have shown that although p53 and the Bcl-2 family members examined in this study do not seem to be important in this process, the Fas pathway may play a role in apoptosis of the ventral prostate in response to androgen ablation.