title: [Expression patterns of sonic hedgehog signaling molecules in human fetal prostate development].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway is involved in the development of human fetal prostate, and to evaluate the changing staining patterns of its molecules, sonic hedgehog (SHH), patchedl (PTC1), smoothened (SMO), and GLI1, in the human fetal prostate at various gestation stages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen human fetal prostate specimens at various developmental stages (10 - 39 weeks) were included in this study. SHH, PTC1, SMO and GLI1 were detected in all the specimens by immunohistochemical technique. All the slides were observed and assessed under the light microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SHH, PTC1, SMO and GLI1 could be detected in human fetal prostate tissues, and their expression formed two surges, the former at week 16, and the latter at week 28. The staining of SHH and SMO was distributed only in the ductal epithelium but not in the stroma. The expression of PTC1 and GLI1 could be found mainly in the epithelium, with minimal staining in the stroma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sonic hedgehog signaling pathway is involved in the development of the human fetal prostate. The high expression of its molecules at early gestation stages might be associated with the induction of prostatic buds, while their abundant expression at later gestation stages might be related to the prostate ductal branching, growth, differentiation and morphogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University Medical School, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China. zhuguodong2004@163.com
authors.forename: Guo-Dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Da-Lin
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Lin-Lin
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin-Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: E Haiyen
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Zhau
authors.forename: Leland W K
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000072079:Patched Receptors; D011467:Prostate / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1
chemical_list: D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D000072079:Patched Receptors; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C491023:SMO protein, human; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000071676:Zinc Finger Protein GLI1