title: Expression and distribution of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide in human prostate and prostate cancer tissues.
abstract: The presence, expression and distribution of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) in human prostate cancer and healthy tissue were investigated by means of biochemical and morphological procedures. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis demonstrated the presence of its precursor encoding mRNA in both normal and pathological conditions (amplification products with 577 or 226 bp were identified). Immunochemistry using an appropriate antibody served to detect in both classes of tissues a 19.9-kDa product corresponding to the PACAP preproprotein and another protein of 14.6 kDa that may represent a product partially processed by convertases. However, a 5-kDa band characteristic of PACAP-38 peptide was not observed. Immunohistochemistry on tissue sections indicated the location of PACAP in the epithelial layer of prostate glands (and in some scarce leucocytes) but not in the stroma, either in normal or carcinomatous tissues. No clear differences could be established when comparing samples from patients with different tumor Gleason grades. These results are the first demonstration of the localization of PACAP or its precursors and its mRNA in the human prostate gland and their presence during the progression of prostate carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neuroendocrinology Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
authors.forename: M Olga
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: García-Fernández
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bodega
authors.forename: Rosa M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Solano
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruíz-Villaespesa
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Chapado
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Carmena
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Prieto
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011467:Prostate / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: C495401:ADCYAP1 protein, human; D009479:Neuropeptides; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger