Abstract
In benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is found to have a regional distribution, with concentrations in the periurethral zone (where the primitive fibrostromal nodule originates) higher than those of the peripheral subcapsular zone. The aim of the present investigation was to verify whether androgens and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are uniformly distributed from the periurethral to the peripheral zone or whether they show regional differences. Tissue samples, removed by transvesical resection from nine untreated BPH patients, sectioned in periurethral, subcapsular, and intermediate zones, were examined. In the periurethral zone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone, and EGF, determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) techniques after purification on Celite microcolumns and Sep-pak C18 cartridge, showed values significantly higher (mean ± SD: 1121±482 pg, 250±129 pg, and 6.89±3.28 ng/mg DNA, respectively;P<0.01) than those of the subcapsular zone (489±190 pg, 114±70 pg, and 3.40±1.90 ng/mg DNA, respectively). A positive linear correlation between EGF, testosterone, and DHT was also observed. The regional distribution of EGF, testosterone, and DHT was similar to that found for bFGF: the highest levels of these factors in the periurethral region allow us to hypothesize on their possible involvement in the rewakening of mesenchymal tissue, leading to the formation of the primitive fibrostromal nodule and then to BPH development.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartsch G, Müller HR, Oberholzer M, Rohr HP (1979) Light microscopic stereological analysis of the normal human prostate and of benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Urol 122:487
Bartsch G, Frick J, Ruegg I (1979) Electron microscopic stereological analysis of the normal human prostate and of benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Urol 122:481
Cunha GR, Chung LWK, Shannon JM, Taguchi O, Fujii H (1983) Hormone-induced morphogenesis and growth: role of mesenchymal-epithelial interactions. Recent Prog Horm Res 39:559
Cunha GR, Donjacour AA, Cooke PS, Mee S, Bigsby RM, Higgins SJ, Sugimura Y (1987) The endocrinology and development biology of the prostate. Endocr Rev 8:338
Deming CL, Neumann C (1939) Early phases of prostatic hyperplasia. Surg Gynecol Obstet 68:155
Fiorelli G, Bellis A de, Longo A, Natali A, Costantini A, Serio M (1989) Epidermal growth factor receptors in human hyperplastic prostate tissue and their modulation by chronic treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 68:740
Frydenberg M, Foo TMS, Jones AS, Grace J, Hensley WJ, Rogers J, Pearson BS, Raghavan D (1991) Benign prostatic hyperplasia—video image analysis and its relationship to androgen and epidermal growth factor receptor expression. J Urol 146:872
Griffiths K, Akaza H, Eaton CL, Habib F, Lee C, Robel P, Sciarra F (1991) Hormones, growth factors and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In: Cockett ATK, Aso Y, Chatelain C, Denis L, Griffiths K, Khoury S, Murphy GP (eds) Proceedings of the international consultation on benign prostatic hyperplasia. S.C.I., Paris, p 25
Griffiths K, Akaza H, Eaton CL, El Etreby M, Habib F, Lee C, Partin AW, Coffey DS, Sciarra F, Steiner G, Tenniswood MP (1993) Regulation of prostatic growth. In: Cockett ATK, Aso Y, Chatelain C, Denis L, Griffiths K, Khoury S, Murphy GP (eds) Proceedings of the 2nd international consultation on benign prostatic hyperplasia. S.C.I., Paris, p 49
Hiramatsu M, Kashimata M, Minami N, Sato A, Murayama M, Minami N (1988) Androgenic regulation of epidermal growth factor in the mouse ventral prostate. Biochem Int 17:311
Lawson R (1991) Prostate growth factors and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Probl Urol 5:449
LeDuc IE (1939) The anatomy of the prostate and the pathology of early benign hypertrophy. J Urol 42:1217
Levine AC, Ren M, Huber GK, Kirschenbaum A (1992) The effect of androgen, estrogen and growth factors on the proliferation of cultured fibroblasts derived from human fetal and adult prostates. Endocrinology 139:2413
Lubrano C, Petrangeli E, Catizone A, Santonati A, Concolino G, Rombolà N, Frati L, Di Silverio F, Sciarra F (1989) Epidermal growth factor binding and steroid receptor content in human benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Steroid Biochem 34:499
Lubrano C, Sciarra F, Spera G, Petrangeli E, Toscano V, Rombolà N, Palleschi F, Palma E, di Silverio F (1992) Immunoreactive EGF in human benign prostatic hyperplasia: relationships with androgen and estrogen receptors. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 41:683
Maddy SQ, Chisholm GD, Hawkins RA, Habib FK (1987) Localization of epidermal growth factor receptor assay in the human prostate by biochemical and immunocytochemical methods. J Endocrinol 113:147
McNeal JE (1978) Origin and evolution of benign prostatic enlargement. Invest Urol 15:340
Petrangeli E, Sciarra F, di Silverio F, Toscano V, Lubrano C, Conti C, Concolino G (1988) Effects of two different medical treatments on dihydrotestosterone content and androgen receptors in human benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Steroid Biochem 30:395
Reischauer F (1925) Die Entstehung der sogenannten Prostatahypertrophie. Virchows Arch 256:357
Rouleau M, Leger J, Renniswood M (1990) Ductal heterogeneity of cytokeratins, gene expression and cell death in the rat ventral prostate. Mol Endocrinol 4:2003
Sherwood ER, Fong CJ, Lee C, Kozlowski JM (1992) Basic fibroblast growth factor: a potential mediator of stromal growth in the human prostate. Endocrinology 130:2955
St-Arnaud R, Poyet P, Walker P, Labrie F (1988) Androgens modulate epidermal grwoth factor receptor levels in the rat ventral prostate. Mol Cell Endocrinol 56:21
Toscano V, Petrangeli E, Adamo MV, Foli S, Caiola S, Sciarra F (1981) Simultaneous determination of 5α-reduced metabolites of testosterone in human plasma. J Steroid Biochem 14:574
Traish AM, Wotiz HH (1987) Prostatic epidermal growth factor receptors and their regulation by androgens. Endocrinology 121:1467
Yang Y, Chisholm GD, Habib FK (1993) Epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor concentrations in BPH and cancer of the prostate: their relationships with tissue androgen levels. Br J Cancer 67:152
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sciarra, F., Monti, S., Adamo, M.V. et al. Regional distribution of epidermal growth factor, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in benign prostatic hyperplasia tissue. Urol. Res. 23, 387–390 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00698740
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00698740