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Quantitation of apoptotic activity following castration in human prostatic tissue in vivo
Author(s) -
Staack Andrea,
Kassis Adrienne P.,
Olshen Adam,
Wang Yuzhuo,
Wu David,
Carroll Peter R.,
Grossfeld Gary D.,
Cunha Gerald R.,
Hayward Simon W.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/pros.10179
Subject(s) - castration , tunel assay , prostate , apoptosis , epithelium , terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase , renal capsule , androgen , andrology , in vivo , orchiectomy , medicine , endocrinology , biology , pathology , kidney , cancer , hormone , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology
Background Androgen deprivation induces apoptosis in the prostate. Representative data, quantitating apoptotic activity in human prostatic epithelium following androgen ablation, are lacking. Methods Human prostatic tissue was grafted beneath the renal capsule of intact male athymic mice and allowed to become established. The mice were castrated and specimens were harvested on post‐castration day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 17, 18, and 21. Tissue was immediately fixed and apoptotic epithelial nuclei were identified. Results The percentage of terminal deoxynucleotidyl‐transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end‐labeling (TUNEL) positive epithelial cells increased from a baseline of 0.026%, peaked on post‐castration day 3 (1.54%), and returned to baseline by day 21. Mathematical analysis predicted that the observed apoptotic activity account for the loss of 87% of prostatic epithelial cells in 3 weeks. Conclusions Post‐castration apoptosis in human prostatic epithelium was low but was sufficient to account for the loss of nearly 90% of epithelial cells. Prostate 54: 212–219, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.