[High-dose estrogen inhibits prostate development by down-regulating SHH signaling in new-born SD rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of high-dose estrogen on the development of the prostate in new-born SD rats and its possible relationship with the sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway.


METHODS
One hundred new-born male SD rat pups were assigned to an experimental group, subcutaneously injected with 25 microg Estradiol + 25 microl corn oil vehicle, and a control group, given corn oil alone, on postnatal day (PD) 0, 1, 3 and 5. The animals were sacrificed by decapitation and their prostates removed on PD 1, 6, 10, 20 and 30. The morphological changes of the prostate were observed by HE staining, and SHH signaling related molecules were detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription PCR.


RESULTS
High-dose estrogen significantly inhibited the organogenesis of the new-born SD rat prostate and down-regulated the expressions of SHH signaling related molecules.


CONCLUSIONS
High-dose estrogen may restrain the development of the prostate in new-born SD rats via inhibition of SHH signaling.
Yang
Zeng-Lei
ZL
Institute of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China.
Zhu
Guo-Dong
GD
Zeng
Jin
J
Zhang
Gang
G
Wang
Xin-Yang
XY
He
Da-Lin
DL
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
D004967:Estrogens; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins