TY - JOUR
T1 - Basal cells show increased expression of aromatase and estrogen receptor a in prostate epithelial lesions of male aging rats
AU - Morais-Santos, Mônica
AU - Werneck-Gomes, Hipácia
AU - Campolina-Silva, Gabriel H.
AU - Santos, Leticia C.
AU - Mahecha, Germán A.B.
AU - Hess, Rex A.
AU - Oliveira, Cleida A.
N1 - Financial Support: This study was supported by the Con-selho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico– Brazil (Grant 4739/2013-0 and research fellowship to C.A.O., doctoral fellowship to M.M.-S., master fellowship to G.H.C.-S., and Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Científica (PROBIC) scholarship to H.W.-G.); Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais–Brazil (Grant PPM-00334-14 to C.A.O. and PROBIC scholarship to L.C.S.) and Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa–Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
This study was supported by the Con-selho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico-Brazil (Grant 4739/2013-0 and research fellowship to C.A.O., doctoral fellowship to M.M.-S., master fellowship to G.H.C.-S., and Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Científica (PROBIC) scholarship to H.W.-G.); Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais-Brazil (Grant PPM-00334-14 to C.A.O. and PROBIC scholarship to L.C.S.) and Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa-Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
PY - 2018/2
Y1 - 2018/2
N2 - Besides androgens, estrogen signaling plays a key role in normal development and pathologies of the prostate. Irreversible synthesis of estrogens from androgens is catalyzed by aromatase. Interestingly, animals lacking aromatase do not develop cancer or prostatitis, whereas those with overexpression of aromatase and, consequently, high estrogen levels develop prostatitis and squamous metaplasia via estrogen receptor 1 (ERa). Even with this evidence, the aromatase expression in the prostate is controversial. Moreover, little is known about the occurrence of age-dependent variation of aromatase and its association with histopathological changes commonly found in advanced age, a knowledge gap that is addressed herein. For this purpose, the immu-noexpression of aromatase was evaluated in the prostatic complex of young adult to senile Wistar rats. ERa was also investigated, to extend our understanding of estrogen responsiveness in the prostate. Moderate cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for aromatase was detected in the glandular epithelium. Eventually, some basal cells showed intense staining for aromatase. The expression pattern for aromatase appeared similar in the normal epithelium when young and senile rats were compared; this result was corroborated by Western blotting. Conversely, in senile rats, there was an increase in the frequency of basal cells intensely stained for aromatase, which appeared concentrated in areas of intraepithelial proliferation and prostatitis. These punctual areas also presented increased ERa positivity. Together, these findings suggest a plausible source for hormonal imbalance favoring estrogen production, which, by acting through ERa, may favor the development of prostatic lesions commonly found in advanced age.
AB - Besides androgens, estrogen signaling plays a key role in normal development and pathologies of the prostate. Irreversible synthesis of estrogens from androgens is catalyzed by aromatase. Interestingly, animals lacking aromatase do not develop cancer or prostatitis, whereas those with overexpression of aromatase and, consequently, high estrogen levels develop prostatitis and squamous metaplasia via estrogen receptor 1 (ERa). Even with this evidence, the aromatase expression in the prostate is controversial. Moreover, little is known about the occurrence of age-dependent variation of aromatase and its association with histopathological changes commonly found in advanced age, a knowledge gap that is addressed herein. For this purpose, the immu-noexpression of aromatase was evaluated in the prostatic complex of young adult to senile Wistar rats. ERa was also investigated, to extend our understanding of estrogen responsiveness in the prostate. Moderate cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for aromatase was detected in the glandular epithelium. Eventually, some basal cells showed intense staining for aromatase. The expression pattern for aromatase appeared similar in the normal epithelium when young and senile rats were compared; this result was corroborated by Western blotting. Conversely, in senile rats, there was an increase in the frequency of basal cells intensely stained for aromatase, which appeared concentrated in areas of intraepithelial proliferation and prostatitis. These punctual areas also presented increased ERa positivity. Together, these findings suggest a plausible source for hormonal imbalance favoring estrogen production, which, by acting through ERa, may favor the development of prostatic lesions commonly found in advanced age.
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U2 - 10.1210/en.2017-00773
DO - 10.1210/en.2017-00773
M3 - Article
C2 - 29121167
AN - SCOPUS:85044723582
SN - 0013-7227
VL - 159
SP - 723
EP - 732
JO - Endocrinology
JF - Endocrinology
IS - 2
ER -