Quantitation of apoptotic activity following castration in human prostatic tissue in vivo.
BACKGROUND
Androgen deprivation induces apoptosis in the prostate. Representative data, quantitating apoptotic activity in human prostatic epithelium following androgen ablation, are lacking.


METHODS
Human prostatic tissue was grafted beneath the renal capsule of intact male athymic mice and allowed to become established. The mice were castrated and specimens were harvested on post-castration day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 17, 18, and 21. Tissue was immediately fixed and apoptotic epithelial nuclei were identified.


RESULTS
The percentage of terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) positive epithelial cells increased from a baseline of 0.026%, peaked on post-castration day 3 (1.54%), and returned to baseline by day 21. Mathematical analysis predicted that the observed apoptotic activity account for the loss of 87% of prostatic epithelial cells in 3 weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
Post-castration apoptosis in human prostatic epithelium was low but was sufficient to account for the loss of nearly 90% of epithelial cells.
Staack
Andrea
A
Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Kassis
Adrienne P
AP
Olshen
Adam
A
Wang
Yuzhuo
Y
Wu
David
D
Carroll
Peter R
PR
Grossfeld
Gary D
GD
Cunha
Gerald R
GR
Hayward
Simon W
SW
D000728:Androgens / Q000172:deficiency; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D000728:Androgens