Ornithine decarboxylase activity and its gene expression are increased in benign hyperplastic prostate.
BACKGROUND
Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is the first key enzyme in the polyamine biosynthesis pathway. Polyamine is believed to participate in cellular proliferation and differentiation. To study the relationship between ODC and the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the polyamine levels, ODC activities, and expression of ODC mRNA in benign hyperplastic and normal human prostates were assayed.


METHODS
Polyamine contents and ODC activities in tissue extracts were determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometric procedures, respectively. The ODC mRNA levels were assayed by Northern blot analysis.


RESULTS
The contents of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in BPH tissues were 2.2, 3.4, and 6.0 times higher than those in normal tissues, respectively; the ODC activity of BPH tissue was about 3.2 times higher than in normal tissue; the expression level of ODC mRNA in the BPH tissues was greater than that of normal tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings imply that 1) the increased ODC activity and polyamine content in prostatic tissue may correlate with the pathogenesis of BPH, and 2) the high level of ODC activity is induced by the overexpression of ODC mRNA.
Liu
X
X
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shandong Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China. mlwang@jn-public.sd.chinfo.net
Wang
L
L
Lin
Y
Y
Teng
Q
Q
Zhao
C
C
Hu
H
H
Chi
W
W
D000328:Adult; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values
D011073:Polyamines; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase