title: Comparative characterization of the canine normal prostate in intact and castrated animals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prostate diseases in the dog are generally regarded as representative for their human counterparts. We characterized the normal canine prostate in comparison to the normal human prostate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prostates of dogs were examined histomorphologically and by immunohistochemical detection of the markers CK14, HMWCK, CK5, CK18, CK7, UPIII, PSA, and PSMA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histomorphologically, the canine prostate lacks the human zonal differentiation, has much more prominent acini, while comprising less stromal tissue. In general, the canine prostate epithelium displayed a highly differentiated character, with no cells expressing CK14, minimal amounts of cells expressing HMWCK/CK5 and the vast majority of cells expressing CK18 and PSA. After castration, the prostate epithelium regressed, and the remaining tubules were largely populated by cells showing a ductal phenotype (HMWCK+/CK5+/CK18+/CK7+).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The human and canine prostate are histologically differently organized. The general scheme of cellular differentiation of the prostate epithelium may however be applicable to both species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chen-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van den Ham
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Leenders
authors.forename: Jaco
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Lugt
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teske
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004285:Dogs; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053538:Keratin-18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053555:Keratin-5 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053552:Keratin-7 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000662:veterinary; D010641:Phenotype; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053538:Keratin-18; D053555:Keratin-5; D053552:Keratin-7; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen