title: Big endothelin-1 but not endothelin-1 is present in the smooth muscle stroma of the prostate gland of the rat.
abstract: Immunohistochemical techniques were employed to localize the presence of endothelins in the mature rat prostate gland. Immunoreactivity for big endothelin-1 but not endothelin-1 was observed in the fibromuscular stroma of the rat prostate gland. No immunoreactivity was seen in the glandular epithelium. Double staining procedures showed big endothelin-1 immunoreactivity to be co-localized with alpha-actin immunoreactivity. The stroma of the prostate gland also contained nerve fibres coursing through it which are immunopositive for tyrosine hydroxylase. These results suggest that big endothelin-1 but not endothelin-1 is co-localized with alpha-actin in the smooth muscle cells of the rat prostate gland. This implies that endothelin-1 is synthesized on demand from big endothelin-1 in the fibromuscular stroma of the rat prostate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Victorian College of Pharmacy, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, Australia. Sab.Ventura@vcp.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salamoussa
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D019332:Endothelin-1; D016232:Endothelins / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000737:chemistry*; D011467:Prostate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000294:innervation; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D019332:Endothelin-1; D016232:Endothelins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase