Castration induces apoptosis in the male accessory sex organs of Fas-deficient lpr and Fas ligand-deficient gld mutant mice.
The role of the Fas ligand-Fas system in castration-induced apoptosis in the epithelia of the ventral prostate (VP), seminal vesicle (SV), coagulating gland (CG) and epididymis (Ep) was investigated using lpr/lpr, and gld/gld mutant mice which are deficient in Fas and Fas ligand, respectively. The degree of apoptosis in the epithelium was quantitatively estimated by an apoptotic index (a percentage of apoptotic cells). The weights (mg/10 g body weight) of the VP, SV, CG and Ep of lpr/lpr and gld/gld mice were similar to those of normal +/+ mice and castration decreased the weights of the VP, SV, CG and Ep in these three kinds of mice to similar levels. Castration also increased the apoptotic indices in these organs reaching maximum on days 2-6 after castration. There was no significant difference in the apoptotic index of these organs among +/+, lpr/lpr and gld/gld mice on days 0-8 after castration. Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNAs extracted from the VP, SV, CG and Ep of +/+, lpr/lpr and gld/gld mice on day 4 after castration showed a ladder pattern. The present results suggest that the Fas ligand-Fas system plays little role in castration-induced apoptosis in the mouse male accessory sex organs such as the VP, SV, CG and Ep.
Sugihara
A
A
Department of Pathology, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan. sugihara@hyo-med.ac.jp
Yamada
N
N
Tsujimura
T
T
Iwasaki
T
T
Yamashita
K
K
Takagi
Y
Y
Tsuji
M
M
Terada
N
N
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004822:Epididymis / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D019463:Mice, Inbred MRL lpr; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009919:Orchiectomy; D009929:Organ Size; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000473:pathology; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C505658:Fasl protein, mouse; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019014:fas Receptor