Intravesicular Fas localization in epithelial cells of castrated rat prostate glands

• Serizawa, Y. ^[1] ; Ueda, H. ^[1] ; Baba, T. ^[1] ; Ueno, A. ^[1] ; Takeda, M. ^[1] ; Ohno, S. ^[1]
  1. [1] Yamanashi Medical University, Shimokato, Tamaho, Yamanashi, Japan
• Localización: Histology and histopathology: cellular and molecular biology, ISSN-e 1699-5848, ISSN 0213-3911, Vol. 16, Nº. 2, 2001, págs. 453-462
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • Androgenic steroids regulate the development and size of mammalian prostate epithelial cells. To evaluate the relationship between Fas-Fas ligand system and apoptosis in prostate epithelial cells of the castrated rats, we have examined immunocytochemical localization of Fas antigen in the castrated rat prostate glands at a series of different times. We used a rabbit polyclonal anti-Fas antibody with a streptavidinbiotin method and confocal laser scanning method or an immunogold method. Fas immunolocalization was examined in ventral lobes of prostate glands taken from intact or castrated adult male Wistar rats on day 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 by light or electron microscopy. At a light microscopic level, the castrated prostate epithelial cells showed mostly Fa immunolocalization in their apical parts of cytoplasm on day 2 after the castration. In addition, their extent of the Fas expression was expanded throughout the cytopla m in proportion to the androgen ablation periods, and later the Fas expression was detected at luminar or basolateral sides of the epithelial cells. Both immunogold labeling with ultrathin section and immunoperoxidase technique with cryostat sections demonstrated that Fas was localized mainly in ecretory granules of the castrated prostate epithelial cells and some parts of their cell membranes at later stages. Our immunocytochemical findings showed that Fas expression was time-dependently induced in most of the prostatic epithelial cells after castration of rats. The rate of Fas-expressing epithelial cells was too high and inconsistent with the previously reported rate of TUNEL-po itive ones. The membrane-associated Fa may have little effect on the apoptosi in the present case, bacause a lot of soluble Fas was ecreted from the prostatic epithelial cells. A further study is needed to clarify some significance of the secretory Fas in the prostatic epithelium after the rat castration.