Vascular endothelial growth factor expression in the urethral epithelium of castrated adult female rats treated with tamoxifen.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of tamoxifen on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the urethral epithelium of castrated rats.


METHODS
Thirty-six adult, castrated, female Wistar-Hannover rats were randomly divided into two groups: group I (n = 16, control), receiving only propylene glycol, and group II (n = 20, tamoxifen), treated with 250 microg/day of tamoxifen for 30 consecutive days by gavage. On the 31st day, the animals were sacrificed and the urethras were immediately removed, separated into the proximal and distal segments and processed for VEGF immunohistochemistry. The data were analysed using Student's t-test (p < 0.05).


RESULTS
The mean percentage of VEGF expression in the epithelium of the proximal urethra of the animals in groups I and II was 64.47+/-3.70 and 74.69+/-3.03, respectively (p < 0.03), whereas the mean percentage of VEGF expression in the distal urethral epithelium of the animals in groups I and II was 53.49+/-4.64 and 68.57+/-3.67, respectively (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that, at the dose and during the time of treatment used, tamoxifen increased VEGF expression in the urethral epithelium of castrated rats.
Department of Gynecology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil.
Alesse R
AR
Dos Santos
Pedro V
PV
Lopes-Costa
Benedito B
BB
da Silva
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D010052:Ovariectomy; D017698:Postmenopause; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014521:Urethra / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019459:Urothelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D013629:Tamoxifen