Transforming growth factor β1 transduced mouse prostate reconstitutions: I. Induction of neuronal phenotypes

✍ Scribed by Yang, Guang; Timme, Terry L.; Park, Sang-Hee; Thompson, Timothy C.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 113 KB
• Volume: 33
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-4137
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0045(19971101)33:3<151::aid-pros1>3.0.co;2-m

✦ Synopsis

BACKGROUND.

We previously showed that retroviral transduction of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-␤1) induces focally hyperplastic lesions resembling benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and an increase in the number of ganglion-like cells in the mouse prostate reconstitution (MPR) model in vivo. In the present study we further characterize the neuronal phenotypes induced by TGF-␤1 retroviral transduction in MPRs. METHODS. Computer-assisted morphometric analysis was used to evaluate neuronal density. Neuronal cell markers, including neurofilament, neuron-specific enolase, tyrosine hydroxylase, choline acetyltransferase, L-met enkaphaline, and serotonin, were detected by immunostaining. RESULTS. A fourfold increase in neuronal density was observed in TGF-␤1 retrovirustransduced MPRs. The relative frequencies of neuronal subtypes remained similar, with catecholaminergic and cholinergic neurons presenting as the most abundant. We found no evidence of infection of neurons; therefore, increased neuronal density was likely due to paracrine activities. CONCLUSIONS. Our results suggest that enforced TGF-␤1 expression leads to growth and/ or survival of both catecholaminergic and cholinergic neuronal cells in mouse prostate reconstitutions.