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Bhatia H, Kumar A, Du J, Chapman JC, McLaughlin MJ. Co-treatment with the non-steroidal anti-androgen drug, flutamide and the natural estrogen, 17β-estradiol does not lead to additive reproductive impairment in juvenile Murray rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis). J Appl Toxicol 2015; 35:1241-53. [DOI: 10.1002/jat.3135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Revised: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Harpreet Bhatia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Land and Water); PMB 2, Glen Osmond Adelaide SA 5064 Australia
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute; The University of Adelaide; Adelaide SA 5064 Australia
| | - Anupama Kumar
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Land and Water); PMB 2, Glen Osmond Adelaide SA 5064 Australia
| | - Jun Du
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Land and Water); PMB 2, Glen Osmond Adelaide SA 5064 Australia
| | - John C. Chapman
- Office of Environment and Heritage; PMB 29 Lidcombe NSW 1825 Australia
| | - Mike J. McLaughlin
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Land and Water); PMB 2, Glen Osmond Adelaide SA 5064 Australia
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute; The University of Adelaide; Adelaide SA 5064 Australia
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Bhatia H, Kumar A, Ogino Y, Du J, Gregg A, Chapman J, McLaughlin MJ, Iguchi T. Effects of the commercial antiandrogen flutamide on the biomarkers of reproduction in male Murray rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2014; 33:1098-1107. [PMID: 24453069 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The endocrine responses in male Murray rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis) were evaluated after exposures to biologically active concentrations of the nonsteroidal pharmaceutical, flutamide. Fish were exposed to nominal concentrations of 125 µg/L, 250 µg/L, 500 µg/L, and 1000 µg/L of flutamide for 7 d, after which plasma vitellogenin concentration; brain aromatase activity; and hepatic expression of the genes for vitellogenin, choriogenin, and androgen and estrogen receptors were assessed. Qualitative assessment of the testes of the fish exposed to flutamide exhibited hindrance in the transformation of spermatogonia to spermatozoa and increased testicular anomalies, such as multinucleated and pyknotic cells and interstitial fibrosis. An increase in the hepatosomatic index with respect to the controls was noted after treating the fish with flutamide at all concentrations. Vitellogenin was induced in plasma in the 1000 µg/L flutamide group. The activity of aromatase in the brain declined significantly after exposures to flutamide at all concentrations. Males exposed to 1000 µg/L of flutamide showed a downregulation in the genes encoding androgen receptors α and β. The expression of the gene for the estrogen receptor α was induced and of vitellogenin was downregulated after treatment with 250 µg/L to 1000 µg/L of flutamide. The results suggest that 7-d exposures to 125 µg/L to 1000 µg/L flutamide can impair the reproductive endocrine system in male Murray rainbowfish at multiple levels by an antiandrogenic mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harpreet Bhatia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Land and Water, Glen Osmond, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Sun XQ, Xu C, Leclerc P, Giuliano F, Benoît G, Droupy S. Distribution of androgen and oestrogen receptors-α in the seminal vesicle-related spinal neurones in male rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:547-59. [PMID: 23414238 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2011] [Revised: 01/15/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The seminal vesicles are male accessory sex glands that contribute much of the seminal fluid volume. Previous studies have suggested that the majority of autonomic innervations to the rat seminal vesicles originate from the bilateral major pelvic ganglia. Many preganglionic autonomic neurones innervating the pelvic ganglion were expressed androgen receptors (AR) or oestrogen receptor (ER)-α immunoreactivity. However, direct neuroanatomic data regarding the distribution of AR and ER-α in seminal vesicle related-spinal neurones are lacking. In the present study, a nonvirulent pseudorabies virus (PRV-152 strain) was used in a retrograde tracing experiment. Four days after PRV injection into the seminal vesicles of male rats, spinal cord sections were prepared. Double- and triple-fluorescence techniques using AR and ER-α with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and PRV were used to investigate the AR and ER-α distribution in the seminal vesicles related spinal neurones in male rats. In lamina X, 14% of the PRV-labelled neurones in the L1-L4 segments and 43% in the L5-S1 segments were double-labelled with AR. In the L1-L4 segments, 6% of PRV-labelled neurones and 26% in the L5-S1 segments were double-labelled with ER-α. In the intermedial cell column area, 10% of PRV-labelled neurones in the L1-L4 segments and 47% of PRV-labelled neurones in the L5-S1 segments were double-labelled with AR. Up to 16% of PRV-labelled neurones in the L5-S1 segments were double-labelled with ER-α. No PRV-labelled neurones in the L1-L4 segments were double-labelled with ER-α. However, for the AR and ER-α/PRV/ChAT triple-fluorescence experiments, very few seminal vesicle preganglionic neurones expressed AR or ER-α. Our data suggests that many spinal interneurones but not preganglionic neurones involved in the seminal vesicle control in male rats were double-labelled with AR or ER-α, and they were mainly located at the parasympathetic level in the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Q Sun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Yatkin E, Bernoulli J, Talvitie EM, Santti R. Inflammation and epithelial alterations in rat prostate: impact of the androgen to oestrogen ratio. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 32:399-410. [PMID: 19515173 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2008.00930.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis may offer new insights into the pathogenesis of human benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer and the strategies for their treatment and prevention. The potential significance of androgen replacement therapy in terms of the reversal of oestradiol (E(2))-induced inflammatory reaction was studied in the dorsolateral prostate (DLP) of the Noble rat. Castrated Noble rats were treated with E(2) and different doses of androgens [dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone (T)] to achieve an elevated concentration of E(2) and a wide range of the androgen-to-oestradiol ratios in serum. After the 3-week treatment, inflammatory changes in the DLP were classified and counted. Oestrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha), progesterone receptor (PR), fos-related antigen-2 (Fra2), Ki-67 and P63 were immunocytochemically stained. T, E(2) and prolactin concentrations in serum were measured and the relative weights of the seminal vesicles and pituitary glands and microscopic structures of the DLP and seminal vesicle ducts were determined. Hypoandrogenic doses of DHT (judged on the basis of seminal vesicle weight gain), dose-dependently increased the number of perivascular and stromal inflammatory infiltrates. T and DHT were anti-inflammatory at the doses which normalized or over stimulated the growth of the seminal vesicles. As signs of anti-oestrogenicity, androgens dose-dependently decreased the number and distribution of the ER alpha and PR-positive cells at proinflammatory concentrations. Anti-inflammatory concentrations were needed to reduce the expression of Fra2, E(2)-increased prolactin concentration in serum and pituitary weight. The androgen concentrations required to prevent proinflammatory and epithelial responses to E(2) in the presence of elevated E(2) concentrations may subject the accessory sex glands to more intense androgenic stimulation than is normal for the male. The androgen-resistant endpoints of oestrogen action (body weight reduction and hyperplasia of seminal vesicle ducts) further indicate limitations in the possible preventive effects of androgen-replacement therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emrah Yatkin
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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Yatkin E, Bernoulli J, Lammintausta R, Santti R. Fispemifene [Z-2-{2-[4-(4-Chloro-1,2-diphenylbut-1-enyl)-phenoxy]ethoxy}-ethanol], a Novel Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator, Attenuates Glandular Inflammation in an Animal Model of Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2008; 327:58-67. [DOI: 10.1124/jpet.108.139501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Azzi L, El-Alfy M, Labrie F. Gender differences and effects of sex steroids and dehydroepiandrosterone on androgen and oestrogen alpha receptors in mouse sebaceous glands. Br J Dermatol 2006; 154:21-7. [PMID: 16403089 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2005.06847.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is generally believed that the sebaceous gland is an intracrine organ which synthesizes its own active hormones to meet its local needs. OBJECTIVES To understand further the mechanisms of sex steroid action in mouse sebaceous glands. METHODS We have used immunocytochemistry to examine the expression of oestrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and androgen receptor (AR) in mouse sebaceous glands. RESULTS In intact males AR is exclusively localized in the nuclei of basal and mature sebocytes, while in females it is present at a lower level in both the nuclei and the cytoplasm. Three weeks following gonadectomy (GDX), a marked decrease of AR labelling is observed in male sebocytes, while no change occurs in female sebocytes. Treatment of GDX animals with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) increases AR expression, while 17beta-estradiol (E2) decreases the stimulatory effect of DHT and DHEA. ERalpha is detected only in basal sebocytes of intact females but not in males. Following treatment with E2, ERalpha expression becomes visible in GDX males while DHT and DHEA inhibit the effect of E2. CONCLUSIONS The present data show gender differences and demonstrate that DHT, E2 and DHEA exert specific effects on the expression of AR and ERalpha in mouse sebocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Azzi
- Oncology and Molecular Endocrinology Research Center, CHUL Research Center and Laval University, 2705 Laurier Boulevard, Quebec City, Quebec G1V 4G2, Canada
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Mirabella N, Squillacioti C, Paone I, Ciarcia R, Russo M, Paino G. Effects of castration on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the vas deferens and male accessory genital glands of the rat. Cell Tissue Res 2005; 323:513-22. [PMID: 16267672 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-005-0084-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2005] [Accepted: 08/24/2005] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor belonging to the family of neurotrophins. Although neurotrophins in the male genital organs have been well documented, their role in the biology of these organs is far from clear. In particular, little is known about the influence of sex hormones on neurotrophin expression. In the present study, using immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we investigated the distribution and tissue concentration of BDNF in the vas deferens and accessory male genital glands in normal and castrated rats. The expression of BDNF mRNA was also investigated. In normal rats, BDNF immunoreactivity was localized in the musculature of the vas deferens and vesicular gland and in the fibromuscular stromal cells of the prostate. In the ventral prostatic lobes, BDNF immunoreactivity was localized in basal, secretory and neuroendocrine epithelial cells. Innervating ganglia and nerves were immunoreactive in all the examined tracts. After castration, BDNF immunoreactivity increased in the musculature of the vesicular gland and in the fibromuscular stromal cells of both dorsal and ventral prostatic lobes. BDNF immunoreactivity also increased in the nerves. ELISA and reverse transcription/real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed the findings of the immunohistochemical study. In the accessory glands, castration induced an increase of both BDNF tissue concentration and mRNA expression. These results suggest that BDNF is expressed in the internal male genital organs of the rat and that its expression is downregulated by androgen hormones. We hypothesize that the observed BDNF increases are related to the castration-induced regression of the sympathetic nerves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Mirabella
- Department of Structures, Functions and Biological Technologies, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
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Yu HP, Yang S, Choudhry MA, Hsieh YC, Bland KI, Chaudry IH. Mechanism responsible for the salutary effects of flutamide on cardiac performance after trauma-hemorrhagic shock: Upregulation of cardiomyocyte estrogen receptors. Surgery 2005; 138:85-92. [PMID: 16003321 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2005.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although flutamide (FTM), an androgen-receptor antagonist, normalizes the depressed immune and cardiac function in males after trauma hemorrhage (T-H), the mechanism responsible for its salutary effects remains unknown. We hypothesized that the salutary effects of FTM are mediated via upregulation of estrogen receptors (ERs). METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent T-H (laparotomy and 90 minutes of hemorrhage (35-40 mm Hg) and then resuscitated with 4x the volume of shed blood in the form of Ringer's lactate). FTM (25 mg/kg) or vehicle (propanediol) was injected subcutaneously 30 minutes before the end of resuscitation. At 2 hours after T-H or sham operation, cardiac output, stroke volume, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, +/- dp/dt, and total peripheral resistance were measured (n = 6 rats per group). Immediately after the measurement of cardiac function, cardiomyocytes were isolated, RNA was extracted, and expression of ER-alpha, ER-beta, and androgen-receptor (AR) mRNA in cardiomyocytes was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. ER-alpha, ER-beta, and AR protein levels in cardiomyocytes were also measured by Western blot analysis. RESULTS The depressed cardiac output, stroke volume, and +/- dp/dt after T-H were significantly improved in the FTM-treated T-H group. Moreover, the decrease in expression of ER-alpha and ER-beta mRNA and protein in cardiomyocytes in the T-H group was prevented with FTM treatment after T-H. However, expression of cardiomyocytes AR mRNA and protein were not significantly different between the T-H or sham group with or without FTM treatment. CONCLUSIONS These findings collectively suggest that, in addition to blockade of androgen receptors, flutamide-mediated ER upregulation is likely to play a role in mediating the salutary effect of flutamide on cardiac function after trauma hemorrhage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huang-Ping Yu
- Center for Surgical Research and Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA
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Yamashita S. Histochemistry and cytochemistry of nuclear receptors. PROGRESS IN HISTOCHEMISTRY AND CYTOCHEMISTRY 2001; 36:91-176. [PMID: 11213555 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6336(01)80004-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Receptors of steroid hormones, thyroid hormones and several kinds of vitamins have been shown to act as nuclear transcription factors and to form a nuclear receptor (NR) family. Histochemical techniques including autoradiography using radio-labeled ligands, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization histochemistry, have displayed that target cells of these receptors are distributed not only in the classical target organs but also widely in a variety of tissues; these techniques can demonstrate the presence of receptor proteins and mRNAs, even though they are expressed in a small cell population of tissues. On the other hand, many studies have been performed to demonstrate the interaction between NRs and nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, and to clarify the mechanism of transcriptional regulation through NRs in artificial conditions which are created in gene transfer experiments or under cell-free conditions. Some data coincide with those obtained from histochemical techniques, however, some histochemical data do not support the results of studies in vitro. This review focuses on the following topics: histochemical methodologies to detect NRs, the distribution and function of NRs in the tissues, the intracellular and intranuclear localization of NRs, roles of gonadal steroid receptors and their ligands on developing tissues including cell communications such as mesenchymal-stromal interaction, and the interaction between other cellular components and NRs. In addition, the agreement and disagreement between the results of histochemical studies and those from the experiments in the model systems or in vitro are discussed.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Female
- Green Fluorescent Proteins
- Histocytochemistry
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- Luminescent Proteins
- Male
- Microscopy, Immunoelectron
- Receptors, Androgen/analysis
- Receptors, Androgen/physiology
- Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/analysis
- Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/physiology
- Receptors, Estrogen/analysis
- Receptors, Estrogen/physiology
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/analysis
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/physiology
- Receptors, Progesterone/analysis
- Receptors, Progesterone/physiology
- Receptors, Steroid/analysis
- Receptors, Steroid/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- S Yamashita
- Keio Junior College of Nursing, 35-Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
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Kokontis JM, Liao S. Molecular action of androgen in the normal and neoplastic prostate. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 1999; 55:219-307. [PMID: 9949683 DOI: 10.1016/s0083-6729(08)60937-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J M Kokontis
- Ben May Institute for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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Choate JV, Slayden OD, Resko JA. Immunocytochemical localization of androgen receptors in brains of developing and adult male rhesus monkeys. Endocrine 1998; 8:51-60. [PMID: 9666345 DOI: 10.1385/endo:8:1:51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/1997] [Revised: 11/07/1997] [Accepted: 11/14/1997] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
We localized immunoreactive androgen receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) of fetal and adult male rhesus macaques by immunocytochemisty using an affinity-purified polyclonal antibody to the first 21 amino acids of the human androgen receptor (AR). This antibody caused a shift in the mobility of AR-bound 3H-DHT on a sucrose gradient and recognized a protein of approx 116 kDa on Western blot. Other criteria for specificity are presented. We localized AR in the diencephalon of male rhesus monkey fetuses. Immunoreactive neurons were found in the medial hypothalamic area and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus on days 47, 61, and 124 of gestation. At 124 d of gestation, AR immunoreactivity was aslo found in the arcuate nucleus. AR immunostaining was not found in other diencephalic structures in fetal life, including the preoptic area. In the adult monkey, neurons in ventromedial, dorsomedial, and arcuate nuclei of the hypothalamus; cortical, medial, and accessory basal nuclei of the amygdala; and regions of the hippocampus and the anterior pituitary gland contained immunoreactive AR. These data indicate that AR is found in specific areas of the CNS early in fetal development, but they also appear in other brain areas as the fetus grows. At 124 d of gestation (term, 167 d), the hypothalamic location of immunoreactive AR is similar to the adult.
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Affiliation(s)
- J V Choate
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201-3098, USA
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12
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Elevated Estrogen Receptor Expression in Human Prostatic Stromal Cells by Androgen Ablation Therapy. J Urol 1996. [DOI: 10.1097/00005392-199609000-00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Kruithof-Dekker IG, Tetu B, Janssen PJ, Van Der Kwast TH. Elevated Estrogen Receptor Expression in Human Prostatic Stromal Cells by Androgen Ablation Therapy. J Urol 1996. [DOI: 10.1016/s0022-5347(01)65749-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Inge G. Kruithof-Dekker
- From the Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and the Department of Pathology, Hotel Dieu de Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bernard Tetu
- From the Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and the Department of Pathology, Hotel Dieu de Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Patrick J.A. Janssen
- From the Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and the Department of Pathology, Hotel Dieu de Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Theodorus H. Van Der Kwast
- From the Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and the Department of Pathology, Hotel Dieu de Quebec, Quebec, Canada
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Heikinheimo O, Mahony MC, Gordon K, Hsiu JG, Hodgen GD, Gibbons WE. Estrogen and progesterone receptor mRNA are expressed in distinct pattern in male primate reproductive organs. J Assist Reprod Genet 1995; 12:198-204. [PMID: 8520186 DOI: 10.1007/bf02211799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The role(s) of estrogens (E) and progesterone (P) in male reproductive physiology remain unclear. Estrogens are used in the treatment of prostatic cancer. Progestins have been used to control excessive sexual behavior in men, and proposed as a male contraceptive. Previous immunohistochemical studies have shown that E receptors (ER) are present in the reproductive tract of male nonhuman primates. METHOD We examined the expression pattern of ER and progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA in adult primate male reproductive tract. mRNA was extracted from male pituitary, testis, prostate and different regions of the epididymis of three intact adult cynomolgous monkeys. Ovarian, myometrial and spleen mRNA were used as controls. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to amplify ER and PR mRNA; beta-actin mRNA was used as a reference. Primers for ER, PR and beta-actin were designed using the most conserved areas in the corresponding human cDNA sequences, and the identity of the PCR products was verified using Southern hybridization. Semiquantitative analysis of ER and PR mRNA content in different parts of the male reproductive tract was carried out by spiking the PCR reaction with 33P-dCTP, and amplifying the samples for 20 cycles with the beta-actin primers, whereas 30 cycles were used for ER and PR. RESULTS The results are expressed as cpm ratios of ER or PR/beta-actin. All the male reproductive organs studied revealed a strong signal for ER and PR mRNA. The results of the semiquantitative analysis indicate that the expression of both ER and PR was highest in testis (mean +/- SE 6.4 +/- 1.3 and 0.5 +/- 0.1, respectively). The mean figures for prostate were 0.5 and 0.4, respectively. The mean content of ER and PR in the different areas of epididymis was 0.5 and 0.1, respectively. The epididymal ER mRNA was highest in the corpus region (ER/beta-actin 0.7), the ratio being 0.4 for the caput and cauda regions. The expression pattern of PR mRNA was different, and the caput of epididymis being the most intense (0.2). Surprisingly, the pituitary content of ER and PR mRNA was close to that seen in the ovary, the mean +/- SE values being 7.6 +/- 0.5 and 1.3 +/- 0.1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS We, therefore, conclude that male monkey reproductive tract contains mRNA for ER and PR, and there appears to be regional variation in their expression. Thus the role(s) of Es and P in male reproductive physiology, specifically in sperm maturation, warrants further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Heikinheimo
- Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, USA
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Diani AR, Mills CJ. Immunocytochemical localization of androgen receptors in the scalp of the stumptail macaque monkey, a model of androgenetic alopecia. J Invest Dermatol 1994; 102:511-4. [PMID: 8151130 DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12373176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the distribution of androgen receptors in the bald and hairy scalp of adult male and female stumptail macaque monkeys by light microscopic biotin-avidin immunocytochemistry with a highly purified rat monoclonal antibody against the cloned human androgen receptor. Consistent, intense nuclear and minimal cytoplasmic immunostaining was observed in several distinct cell populations of the pilosebaceous unit including the dermal papilla, hair epithelium, outer root sheath, dermal sheath, and sebaceous gland. A similar distribution of androgen receptors was found in miniaturized and terminal anagen and telogen follicles of the bald and hairy scalp, respectively. Binding of androgen receptor antibody was also detected in dermal fibroblasts, basal and intermediate layers of the interfollicular epidermis, and duct and glandular cells of eccrine sweat glands. This investigation demonstrates the presence of androgen receptors in the pilosebaceous unit of the scalp of the stumptail macaque and also shows that their distribution is comparable to that previously reported for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Diani
- Upjohn Laboratories, Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo MI 49001
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Chapter 23. Therapeutic Control of Androgen Action. ANNUAL REPORTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 1994. [DOI: 10.1016/s0065-7743(08)60736-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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Paris F, Weinbauer GF, Blüm V, Nieschlag E. The effect of androgens and antiandrogens on the immunohistochemical localization of the androgen receptor in accessory reproductive organs of male rats. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1994; 48:129-37. [PMID: 8136298 DOI: 10.1016/0960-0760(94)90259-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) was localized immunohistochemically after different hormonal treatments in the ventral prostate, coagulating gland, seminal vesicle and epididymis of the adult rat. In the untreated controls AR-immunoreactivity was confined to the cell nuclei. One week after castration or treatment with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist Cetrorelix (150 micrograms/animal per day) a cytoplasmic staining occurred in the epithelial cells of the ventral prostate and in part of the coagulating gland and seminal vesicle. In contrast, the AR remained exclusively in the nuclei in the epididymal epithelium and the glandular smooth muscle layer even after 2 weeks of androgen depletion. Bolus injections of either dihydrotestosterone (1 mg/kg), the antiandrogen flutamide (40 mg/kg), or the novel non-steroidal antiandrogen casodex (40 mg/kg) to androgen-depleted animals eliminated cytoplasmic AR-immunoreactivity and restored the nuclear staining pattern in the ventral prostate. A sustained 2-week treatment with the antiandrogens resulted in a loss of weight in all organs but did not alter the distribution of AR-immunoreactivity. The data show an apparent cytoplasmic/nuclear ligand-dependent translocation of the AR in the ventral prostate, coagulating gland and seminal vesicle but not in the epididymis of the adult rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Paris
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, University of Münster, Germany
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Lindzey J, Kumar MV, Grossman M, Young C, Tindall DJ. Molecular mechanisms of androgen action. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 1994; 49:383-432. [PMID: 7810074 DOI: 10.1016/s0083-6729(08)61151-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Androgens directly regulate a vast number of physiological events. These direct androgen effects are mediated by a nuclear receptor that exhibits four major functions or activities: steroid binding, DNA binding, transactivation, and nuclear localization. The SBD consists of a hydrophobic pocket of amino acids that exhibits high-affinity, androgen-specific binding. Based on studies of mutant AR, it appears that a number of different amino acids contribute to the steroid binding characteristics of the AR. The DNA binding domain confers sequence-specific binding to structures called androgen-responsive elements. The specificity of steroid binding and DNA binding provides a crucial basis for androgen-specific regulation of target genes. The nuclear localization signal shares homology with known nuclear localization signals and, coupled with the presence of androgens, is responsible for localizing the AR to the nucleus. The transactivation functions reside mostly in the NH2 terminus but the responsible domains are as yet poorly defined. Though the different domains can act as independent moieties, one domain can clearly alter the behavior of another domain. For instance, the SBD appears to inhibit the transactivating functions until steroid is bound and the amino terminus prevents DNA binding activity until steroid is bound. The relative ease of introducing mutations with polymerase chain reaction technology will facilitate further delineation of critical amino acids and domains responsible for the various activities of the AR. The recent cloning and characterization of AR promoters revealed that the AR genes are driven by a TATA-less promoter characteristics of housekeeping genes. Analysis of transcription rates, mRNA levels, and protein levels indicates that androgens and pkA and pkC pathways modulate expression of AR mRNA and protein. This indicates that the same signal pathways that interact to regulate androgen target genes also regulate the levels of AR in the target tissues. Surprisingly few androgen-regulated genes have been well characterized for the mechanisms by which androgen regulates the gene. The C(3), Slp, probasin, PSA, and hKLK2 genes have provided examples where androgens regulate transcription. Posttranscriptional regulation by androgens has been demonstrated for the SVP1, 2, 3, and 4 and AR genes. The mechanisms underlying posttranscriptional regulation are poorly defined but substantial progress has been made in defining the critical elements that mediate transcriptional effects of androgens. Transcriptional effects are mediated through binding of androgen-AR complexes to specific DNA sequences called AREs. Simple AREs such as those found in C(3) and kallikrein genes tend to be permissive in that GR and PR can also act through the same element.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lindzey
- Department of Urology, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
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