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Relaxin of Prostatic Origin Might Be Linked to Perineal Hernia Formation in Dogs
Author(s) -
NIEBAUER GERT W.,
SHIBLY SARINA,
SELTENHAMMER MONIKA,
PIRKER ARMIN,
BRANDT SABINE
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1282.062
Subject(s) - relaxin , medicine , inguinal hernia , hernia , prostate , immunostaining , immunohistochemistry , pathology , urology , hormone , surgery , cancer
A bstract : Perineal hernia occurs spontaneously in older male dogs after idiopathic weakening of the pelvic diaphragm. Hernias invariably contain cystic paraprostatic tissues. Castration reduces incidence and recurrence after surgical repair. Although cystic prostatic hypertrophy is a consistent feature in patients with perineal hernia, an endocrine link of the disease to steroid sex hormones has not been demonstrated. Employing immunohistochemistry, we found intense relaxin immunoreactivity in dogs with perineal hernia within the epithelia of hypertrophic prostates and in periprostatic tissues. The prostate of normal dogs exhibited similar but less intense relaxin staining. In neutered dogs with prostatic atrophy, relaxin immunostaining was weak or absent. Periprostatic cysts highly expressed relaxin precursors in the fluid phase as shown by SDS‐gel electrophoresis. Relaxin of prostatic origin, therefore, is possibly a local factor in connective tissue weakening and subsequently in perineal hernia formation.