Zone-dependent expression of estrogen receptors alpha and beta in human benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Estrogen, which acts through estrogen receptors (ERs) alpha and beta, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of benign and malignant human prostatic tumors, i.e. benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer, thought to originate from different zones of the prostate [the transition zone (TZ) and peripheral zone (PZ), respectively]. Here, we examined the cellular distribution of ERalpha and ERbeta in human normal and hyperplastic prostate tissues, using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. ERalpha expression was restricted to stromal cells of PZ. In contrast, ERbeta was expressed in the stromal cells of PZ as well as TZ. ERbeta-positive epithelial cells were evenly distributed in PZ and TZ of the prostate. Our results suggest that estrogen may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia through ERbeta.
Tsurusaki
Toshifumi
T
Department of Urology, The Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Hospital, Nagasaki 852-8511, Japan.
Aoki
Daiyu
D
Kanetake
Hiroshi
H
Inoue
Satoshi
S
Muramatsu
Masami
M
Hishikawa
Yoshitaka
Y
Koji
Takehiko
T
D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D007106:Immune Sera; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen