摘要

BACKGROUND. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is an age- and androgen-dependent condition of urethral compression caused by prostatic contractility and glandular enlargement. In this study we investigate whether testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and estradiol modulate the ability of human cultured prostatic stromal cells (HCPSCs) to respond to the adrenoceptor agonists, noradrenaline (30 mu M) and phenylephrine (100 mu M), the protein kinase C activating phorbol ester, phorbol diacetate (PDA, 10 mu M), and the L-type Ca2+ channel activator, (-)-Bay K8644 (Bay K, 10 mu M) with elevations of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+](i)).
METHODS. Cells were loaded with the Ca2+ sensitive fluorophore, FURA-2AM (10 mu M) and changes in intracellular Ca2+ determined before and 8-12 min after ligand addition.
RESULTS. Compared to steroid-free (SF) controls, the incubation of HCPSC with testosterone (30 and 300 pM) significantly increased responses to both noradrenaline and phenylephrine. Responses to Bay K were significantly reduced between 30 nM to 300 pM but responses to PDA were not greatly affected. Compared to SF the addition of estradiol (E-2, 100 pM) did not affect responses to phenylephrine. The concomitant addition of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and E-2 (to give ratios from 1:1 to 1,000: 1) elevated the responses to noradrenaline and phenylephrine at the extreme ranges. Responses to PDA and Bay K generally increased as DHT:E2 approached unity.
CONCLUSIONS. These results indicate that sex steroids modulate the activities of HCPSCs through the regulation of both receptors and signal transduction processes.

  • 出版日期2007-1-1