title: Effects of surgical and chemical castration on spatial learning ability in relation to cell proliferation and apoptosis in hippocampus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chemical castration using luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists and/or anti-androgens is an alternative to surgical castration. Goserelin and bicalutamide are representative drugs used for chemical castration. The effects of chemical castration on sexual functions are well documented; however, the possibility that chemical castration might induce undesirable effects on brain functions has been raised. We investigated the effects of chemical castration and surgical castration on spatial learning ability in relation to cell proliferation and apoptosis in hippocampus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bilateral orchiectomy was performed for surgical castration, and chemical castration was induced by treatment with goserelin or bicalutamide for 28 days. To find out the effects of goserelin and bicalutamide with those of orchiectomy on the spatial learning ability, radial eight-arm maze test was performed. To find out the effects of goserelin and bicalutamide with those of orchiectomy in relation to cell proliferation and apoptosis in the hippocampus, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining, and immunohistochemistry for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine, doublecortin, and caspase-3 were performed. Western blot for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, tyrosine kinase receptor B, Bax, and Bcl-2 in the hippocampus was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Orchiectomy caused deterioration of spatial learning ability with suppression of cell proliferation and enhancement of apoptosis in the hippocampus. However, treatment with goserelin and bicalutamide had no effect on spatial learning ability. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were not altered by treatment with goserelin and bicalutamide either.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical castration causes deterioration of spatial learning ability, while chemical castration does not impair spatial learning ability. We should find out further mechanisms affect to the relationship between androgen level and neurogenesis and neuronal apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mal-Soon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University School of Medicine, Incheon, 405-760, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Il-Gyu
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Jang
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Sang
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Woon
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Han-Sam
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University School of Medicine, Incheon, 405-760, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Hee
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 110-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Sam
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University School of Medicine, Incheon, 405-760, Republic of Korea. kimcho99@gilhospital.com.
authors.forename: Khae-Hawn
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Apoptosis; Bicalutamide; Castration; Cell proliferation; Goserelin; Spatial learning