Mechanisms of prostate atrophy after LHRH antagonist cetrorelix injection: an experimental study in a rat model of benign prostatic hyperplasia

J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci. 2012 Jun;32(3):389-395. doi: 10.1007/s11596-012-0067-x. Epub 2012 Jun 9.

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the roles of TGF-β signaling pathway in a rat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) model treated with cetrorelix. TGF-β1 and c-Myc expression were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blotting in the proximal and distal region of ventral prostatic lobes, respectively. We observed that treatment with cetrorelix led to a significant reduction of ventral prostate weight in a dose-dependent manner. In the proximal region, after cetrorelix treatment, the expression of TGF-β1 was dramatically increased (P<0.05), while the expression of c-Myc was significantly decreased (P<0.05). In comparison with the control group, the cetrorelix groups had more TUNEL-positive cells. Our findings strongly suggest that the TGF-β signaling pathway may be one of the major causes responsible for prostate volume reduction in BPH rats after cetrorelix treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Atrophy / pathology
  • Atrophy / physiopathology
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / analogs & derivatives
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Hormone Antagonists
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Organ Size / drug effects
  • Prostatic Hyperplasia / chemically induced
  • Prostatic Hyperplasia / pathology*
  • Prostatic Hyperplasia / physiopathology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Hormone Antagonists
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
  • cetrorelix