[Testosterone induces different-featured prostate hyperplasia in castrated and uncastrated mice].
OBJECTIVE
To study the different features of hyperplasia in castrated and uncastrated mice after testosterone (T) treatment.


METHODS
Forty-eight BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 6 groups of 8 in each: castrated (A), uncastrated (B) , castrated + low T (C), uncastrated + low T (D), castrated + high T (E), uncastrated + high T (F). Groups C and D were treated with testosterone solution at the dose of 12.5 mg/(kg d) and Groups E and F at 125 mg/(kg d) for 20 consecutive days, while Groups A and B received saline only. All the mice were sacrificed on the 21st day, their ventral and dorsal prostate glands weighed and their pathological features studied.


RESULTS
Atrophic prostates were observed in Group A, but normal in Group B; prostatic hyperplasia was found in both Group C and D, but more obvious in the latter (P <0.05); and a slightly higher degree of hyperplasia was noted in Groups E and F than in C and D. There was an increase in serum T and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration and a decrease in serum estrogen (E2) concentration in the testosterone treated groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Both castrated and uncastrated mice develop prostate hyperplasia after short-term testosterone treatment, although in different degrees and with different features, which may help further the studies on the association of castration and androgen with prostate diseases.
Sun
Wei-Gui
WG
Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Nanhai, Foshan, Guangdong 528200, China.
Gan
Lan-Ping
LP
Yu
Guo-Qiang
GQ
Ye
Zhang-Qun
ZQ
Mi
Zhen-Guo
ZG
Wang
Quan-Hong
QH
Han
Cun-Zhi
CZ
Ren
Lian-Sheng
LS
Wang
Hong-Zhi
HZ