Vascular density is highest in the proximal region of the mouse prostate.
BACKGROUND
The proximal region of the prostatic ducts harbor the prostatic epithelial stem cells. As stem cell niches in other organs are highly vascularized, we determined if the proximal region is more highly vascularized than the remaining regions of the prostate. The effect of androgen on vascular density in the different prostatic regions was also examined.


METHODS
Sections from prostates were immunostained with antibodies to CD31, and the vascular density in proximal, intermediate, and distal regions was calculated by image analysis software. Vascular density was compared in prostates from castrated mice that received daily inoculations of testosterone or vehicle alone for 3 days. To examine the role of angiogenic factors in the response to androgen, some animals were also treated with soluble VEGF receptor-2-Fc or Tie-2--Fc fusion proteins, which inhibit the activities of VEGF and angiopoietins, respectively. The endothelial proliferative response to androgen was determined by double staining sections with antibodies to CD31 and Ki-67.


RESULTS
In prostates from intact mice, vascular density was highest in the proximal region and lowest in the distal region. Administration of testosterone to castrated mice increased vascular density to the greatest extent in the distal and intermediate regions. The increase in vascular density required VEGF and the angiopoietins. Endothelial cell proliferation was less sensitive to androgen in the proximal region than the remainder of the prostate.


CONCLUSIONS
Vascular density is highest in the proximal region of the prostate, but the proximal vessels are less responsive to testosterone.
Wang
Gui-Min
GM
Department of Cell Biology and the Kaplan Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Kovalenko
Bruce
B
Wilson
E Lynette
EL
Moscatelli
David
D
D042501:Angiogenic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011467:Prostate / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
D042501:Angiogenic Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C105154:angiogenin receptor