title: Secretions from seminal vesicles lack characteristic markers for prostasomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prostasomes are suggested to be produced in the prostate gland. Although biochemical studies support this, some immunohistochemical findings indicate that also the seminal vesicles could be a source of prostasomes. Therefore, we have compared the secretion of the vesicles with that of the prostate using biochemical and ultrastructural techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ultracentrifuged pellets of substance from seminal vesicle secretions were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and flow cytometry. The secretory cells of the seminal vesicles were examined with transmission electron microscopy. These findings were then compared with published results from similar studies of the prostate secretory cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In SDS-PAGE, the seminal vesicle pellets lacked the three prostasome-characteristic CD-markers, namely CD10, CD13, and CD26, but expressed two proteins of about 55 kDa and 70 kDa, corresponding to clusterin and heat shock protein (HSP70). Flow cytometry showed the presence of secretion particles in the seminal pellet, although of a smaller size than that of the prostasomes. Electron microscopy of the luminal part of the cells in the seminal vesicles demonstrated many secretion granules, each enclosed in a vesicle with a size of about 1 microm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pelleted seminal vesicle secretion is different to prostate secretion in several ways. No prostasome characteristics were detected in the pelleted seminal vesicle secretion.
authors: Department of Urology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors: Göran
authors: G
authors: Sahlén
authors: Ove
authors: O
authors: Nilsson
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Larsson
authors: Lena
authors: L
authors: Carlsson
authors: Bo Johan
authors: BJ
authors: Norlén
authors: Gunnar
authors: G
authors: Ronquist
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*