Differences in steroid 5alpha-reductase iso-enzymes expression between normal and pathological human prostate tissue.
We studied the expression level and cell-specific expression patterns of 5alpha-reductase (5alpha-R) types 1 and 2 iso-enzymes in human hyperplastic and malignant prostate tissue by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and in situ hybridisation analyses. In situ hybridisation established that 5alpha-R1 mRNA is preferentially expressed by epithelial cells and little expressed by stromal cells whereas 5alpha-R2 mRNA is expressed by both epithelium and stroma. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR has been performed on total RNA from different zones of normal prostate, BPH tissues and liver. We found that 5alpha-R1 and 5alpha-R2 mRNAs expression was near the same in all zones of normal prostate. In BPH tissue, 5alpha-R1 and 5alpha-R2 mRNAs expression was slightly but significantly increased, when it was compared to the levels recorded for normal prostate. In cancer samples, 5alpha-R1 mRNA expression was higher than in normal and hyperplastic prostate but the level of 5alpha-R2 mRNA was not statistically different from that observed in the different zones of normal prostate. In liver, 5alpha-R2 mRNA level was similar to that measured in BPH but 5alpha-R1 mRNA expression was ten times higher. The increase observed in 5alpha-R isoenzymes expression in BPH tissue could play an important role in the pathogenesis and/or maintenance of the disease.
Laboratoire de Cancérologie Expérimentale, INSERM CJF 93-11, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Marseille, France.
C
C
Iehlé
F
F
Radvanyi
S
S
Gil Diez de Medina
L H
LH
Ouafik
H
H
Gérard
D
D
Chopin
J P
JP
Raynaud
P M
PM
Martin
D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000201:enzymology*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D007527:Isoenzymes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase