[Observation of the changes in ventral prostatic microcirculation in castrated rats].
OBJECTIVE
Castrated rats exhibit significant shrinkage of the ventral prostate and apoptosis of prostatic cells, which can be attributed to the reduced blood supply to the prostate. But what causes the blood decrease in the prostate remains unknown. This study aims to explore the molecular mechanism of the changes in the microcirculation of the ventral prostate of rats following castration.


METHODS
We randomized 24 male adult rats into 6 groups of equal number, and collected their ventral prostates at 0, 1/2, 1, 2, 3 and 7 d, respectively, after castration. Then we observed the changes of the microvessels under the transmission electron microscope, detected the apoptosis of endothelial cells by TUNEL, and determined the expressions of VEGF, endostatin, angiostatin and angiopoietin-2 by Western blot.


RESULTS
The castrated rats showed dramatic changes in the microvessels of the ventral prostate, obvious apoptosis of the endothelial cells, down-regulated expression of VEGF, and up-regulated expressions of endostatin and angiostatin, while angiopoietin-2 remained unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
The decreased level of VEGF and increased levels of endostatin and angiostatin might underlie the mechanism of the changes in the microcirculation of the ventral prostate of rats following castration.
Lan
Ru-Zhu
RZ
Department of Urology,Tongi Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China. ruzhulan@yahoo.com.cn
Ye
Zhang-Qun
ZQ
Deng
Rong-Jing
RJ
Wang
Shao-Gang
SG
Chen
Chun-Lian
CL
Zhou
Sheng
S
D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D043168:Angiostatins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D043169:Endostatins / Q000378:metabolism; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011467:Prostate / Q000098:blood supply*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
D042702:Angiopoietin-2; D043169:Endostatins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; D043168:Angiostatins