title: Experimental endocrine therapies promote epithelial cytodifferentiation and ciliogenesis in the gerbil female prostate.
abstract: The incidence of ciliated cells in the prostate gland of the female gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is uncommon and apparently becomes more frequent during androgen (testosterone cypionate) and anti-estrogen (letrozole) endocrine therapies. To evaluate the effects of such drug therapies on the induction of ciliogenesis in the glandular epithelium of female prostate glands, adult female gerbils aged 90 days were treated for 14 days with testosterone and letrozole after which their prostate glands were removed for histological, ultrastructural, and serological analyses. The cytodifferentiation of the ciliated phenotype in the alveolar epithelium became more frequent after both the testosterone and the letrozole treatments. The ciliogenesis phenomenon of the epithelial cells in the prostate gland of female gerbils thus appears to be induced by variations in the increase of androgen levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6109, 13083-864, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Cristina Alcântara
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Luiz Roberto
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Falleiros-Júnior
authors.forename: Lara Silvia
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Corradi
authors.forename: Patricia Simone Leite
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Vilamaior
authors.forename: Sebastião Roberto
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Taboga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077289:Letrozole; D008297:Male; D009570:Nitriles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D009929:Organ Size; D011467:Prostate / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D014230:Triazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D009570:Nitriles; D014230:Triazoles; D013739:Testosterone; D000077289:Letrozole