Coexpression of gonadotropic hormones and their corresponding FSH- and LH/CG-receptors in the human prostate.
BACKGROUND
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects the majority of elderly men, and prostate cancer is the most common male cancer. Prostatic growth and function are thought to be regulated by steroid hormones, primarily androgens and estrogens, but nonandrogenic hormones must also be considered. The increasing evidence of para/autocrine functions of the gonadotropic glycoprotein-hormones (GPH), their allocation to the superfamily of cystine-knot growth factors, and luteinizing hormone (LH)/chorionic gonadotropin (CG)-receptor (R) gene expression in nongonadal tissues led us to investigate intraprostatic GPH and GPH-R gene expression.


RESULTS
RT-PCR and subsequent Southern hybridization and/or restriction enzyme analysis of BPH and prostatic adenocarcinoma demonstrated that all three human (h) gonadotropic hormones, i.e., follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), LH, and CG, as well as the corresponding FSH-R and LH/CG-R, are transcribed intraprostatically. Significant amounts of the alpha and beta subunits of hCG were secreted by short-term primary cultures of human BPH tissues, as detected by highly sensitive and specific time-resolved immunofluorometric assays (IFMAs).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that prostatic- and pituitary-derived GPH act directly on the prostatic gland, particularly FSH via the FSH-R, thereby possibly modulating locally acting key hormones and growth factors involved in BPH development.
Dirnhofer
S
S
Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck.
Berger
C
C
Hermann
M
M
Steiner
G
G
Madersbacher
S
S
Berger
P
P
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000378:metabolism; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000502:physiology*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011962:Receptors, FSH / Q000502:physiology*; D011974:Receptors, LH / Q000502:physiology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000502:physiology
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary; D011962:Receptors, FSH; D011974:Receptors, LH; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone