Effects of hyperprolactinemia on the accessory sexual organs of the male rat

Effect of hyperprolactinemia on PRL-receptor expression and activation of Stat and Mapk cell signaling in the prostate of long-term sexually-active rats

The abnormal elevation of serum PRL, referred to as hyperprolactinemia (HyperPRL), produces alterations in several reproductive parameters of male rats such as penile erection or decreased tendency to reach ejaculation. Additionally, this situation produces a significant modification of prostate histology, as observed in the epithelial structure and alveolar area, which could reach a level of hyperplasia in the long-term. In this tissue, HyperPRL produces an increase in expression of PRL receptors and activation of the Stat3 signaling pathway that is correlated with the evolution of prostate pathologies. However, the impact of HyperPRL in long-term sexually active male rats is unknown. In this work, using constantly copulating Wistar male rats with induced HyperPRL, we analyzed the level of serum PRL, the effect on prostate PRL receptors, and activation of pStat3, pStat5 and Mapk signaling pathways. Two procedures to induce HyperPRL were employed, comprising daily IP administration or adenohypophysis transplant, and although neither affected the execution of sexual behavior, the serum PRL profile following successive ejaculations was affected. Messenger RNA expression of the short and long isoforms of the PRL receptor at the ventral prostate was affected in different ways depending on the procedure to induce HyperPRL. The ventral prostate did not show any modification in terms of activation of the pStat5 signaling pathway in subjects with daily administration of PRL, although this was significantly increased in ADH transplanted subjects in the second and fourth consecutive ejaculation. A similar profile was found for the pStat3 pathway which additionally showed a significant increase in the third and fourth ejaculation of daily-injected subjects. The Mapk signaling pathway did not show any modifications in subjects with daily administration of PRL, but showed a significant increase in the second and third ejaculations of subjects with ADH transplants. Thus, although sexual behavior was not modified, HyperPRL modified the expression of PRL receptors and the activation of signal pathways in the prostate tissue. Hence, it is probable that prostatic alterations precede the sexual behavioral deficits observed in subjects with HyperPRL.

Proliferative and nonproliferative lesions of the rat and mouse male reproductive system

The INHAND Project (International Harmonization of Nomenclature and Diagnostic Criteria for Lesions in Rats and Mice) is a joint initiative of the Societies of Toxicologic Pathology from Europe (ESTP), Great Britain (BSTP), Japan (JSTP), and North America (STP) to develop an internationally accepted nomenclature for proliferative and nonproliferative lesions in laboratory animals. The purpose of this publication is to provide a standardized nomenclature and differential diagnosis for classifying microscopic lesions observed in the male reproductive system of laboratory rats and mice, with color microphotographs illustrating examples of some lesions. The standardized nomenclature presented in this document is also available for society members electronically on the Internet (http://goreni.org). Sources of material included histopathology databases from government, academia, and industrial laboratories throughout the world. Content includes spontaneous and aging lesions as well as lesions induced by exposure to test materials. A widely accepted and utilized international harmonization of nomenclature for lesions of the male reproductive system in laboratory animals will decrease confusion among regulatory and scientific research organizations in different countries and provide a common language to increase and enrich international exchanges of information among toxicologists and pathologists.

Prolactin regulation of the prostate gland: a female player in a male game

Prolactin is best known for its actions on the mammary gland. However, circulating prolactin is also detected in males and its receptor (PRLR) is expressed in the prostate, suggesting that the prostate is a target of prolactin. Germline knockout of prolactin or its receptor has failed to reveal a key role for prolactin signaling in mouse prostate physiology. However, several studies involving rodent models and human prostate cell lines and specimens have supported the contribution of the canonical PRLR-Jak2-Stat5a/b pathway to prostate cancer tumorigenesis and progression. Increased expression of prolactin in the prostate itself (rather than changes in circulating prolactin levels) and crosstalk with androgen receptor (AR) signaling are potential mechanisms for increased Stat5a/b signaling in prostate cancer. In the mouse prostate, prolactin overexpression results in disorganized expansion of the basal/stem cell compartment, which has been proposed to house putative prostate tumor-initiating cells. These findings provide new insight into the molecular and cellular targets by which locally produced prolactin could contribute to prostate cancer initiation and progression. A number of pharmacological inhibitors targeting various levels of the PRLR-Jak2-Stat5a/b pathway have been developed and are entering clinical trials for advanced prostate cancer.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: prepubertal exposures and effects on sexual maturation and thyroid function in the male rat. A focus on the EDSTAC recommendations. Endocrine Disrupter Screening and Testing Advisory Committee

Puberty in mammalian species is a period of rapid interactive endocrine and morphological changes. Therefore, it is not surprising that exposure to a variety of pharmaceutical and environmental compounds has been shown to dramatically alter pubertal development. This concern was recognized by the Endocrine Disrupter Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC) that acknowledged the need for the development and standardization of a protocol for the assessment of the impact of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDC) in the pubertal male and recommended inclusion of an assay of this type as an alternative test in the EDSTAC tier one screen (EPA, 98). The pubertal male protocol was designed to detect alterations of pubertal development, thyroid function, and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) system peripubertal maturation. In this protocol, intact 23-day-old weanling male rats are exposed to the test substance for 30 days during which pubertal indices are measured. After necropsy, reproductive and thyroid tissues are weighed and evaluated histologically and serum taken for hormone analysis. The purpose of this review was to examine the available literature on pubertal development in the male rat and evaluate the efficacy of the proposed protocol for identifying endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The existing data indicate that this assessment of puberty in the male rat is a simple and effective method to detect the EDC activity of pesticides and toxic substances.

Absence of feedback inhibition of prolactin secretion by the prostate

Previous observations in rodents and man have suggested the existence of feedback inhibition of pituitary prolactin secretion by the prostate. Thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) tests performed in males before and after prostatectomy demonstrated no difference in prolactin or thyrotrophin (TSH) secretion. These data do not support the hypothesis of a prostate-pituitary feedback loop in the control of prolactin secretion. The results also imply that prostatic TRH acts in a paracrine manner.

Receptors for prolactin, somatostatin, and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in experimental prostate cancer after treatment with analogs of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and somatostatin

Membrane receptors for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH), somatostatin, and prolactin (PRL) were investigated in the Dunning R-3327H rat prostate adenocarcinoma specimens after in vivo treatment with microcapsules of the agonist [D-Trp6]LH-RH and the somatostatin analog RC-160. The LH-RH receptors showed a low-binding affinity (Kd = 54 nM) and high capacity (Bmax = 12.0 pmol/mg). Treatment with the [D-Trp6]LH-RH decreased the binding affinity (Kd = 0.52 microM). Specific somatostatin receptors, with Kd = 1.3 nM and Bmax = 543 fmol/mg, were also found. Treatment with [D-Trp6]LH-RH lowered Bmax to 44 fmol/mg, and administration of RC-160 reduced Kd to 30 nM. After the combined treatment with the two analogs, Kd and Bmax were decreased. Specific PRL receptors (Kd = 0.72 nM; Bmax = 161 fmol/mg) were also detected. Treatment with either analog reduced Bmax by 50%, but a much greater reduction of PRL binding capacity was revealed after in vitro dissociation of the bound endogenous PRL by MgCl2. The dramatic fall in the total number of PRL receptors after combination treatment with both analogs could be partially responsible for the decrease in the weight and volume of prostate tumors. The findings support the concept that analogs of LH-RH and somatostatin can inhibit tumors directly through their own respective receptors. One of several mechanisms of the antineoplastic activity of these analogs could be the elimination of tumor growth-promoting effect of PRL by the reduction of the total number of PRL receptors.

Prolactin and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone receptors in human benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer

Using a sensitive micromethod for the determination of prolactin (PRL) binding sites based on 125I-human PRL ligand, PRL receptor levels in specimens of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and human prostate cancer were estimated by the one-point assay system. Ten of 19 BPH specimens (53%), showed significant PRL binding, four being in the 9-12 fmol/mg range. All ten of these cases had an histological diagnosis of nodular glandular hyperplasia. Of ten adenocarcinomas examined, four samples (40%) exhibited positive PRL binding, the highest receptor levels being 10.2 fmol/mg protein. To characterize the receptors from BPH membranes, samples were then separately pooled according to the results obtained in one-point assays. In the PRL-negative pool no displacement could be detected. In the PRL-positive pool, the Scatchard analysis revealed one class of receptors with an average affinity Kd = 1.1 X 10(-9) M and capacity Bmax = 287 fmol/mg protein. In the prostate cancer specimens, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone receptors with a high affinity and a low capacity were also found. The results indicate the presence of prolactin receptors in prostate cancer and in BPH. The clinical implications of such findings are not clear, but it is possible that a certain proportion of BPH and prostate cancers might be in part PRL dependent. Further studies are necessary to ascertain this hypothesis in an attempt to improve the treatment of BPH and prostate cancer.

Prolactin effect on the permeability of human benign hyperplastic prostate to testosterone

While it has been known for over 30 years that prolactin (Prl) synergizes with androgen in the support and stimulation of prostatic growth and metabolism, the evidence that this is accomplished through increasing access of the steroid to the cellular machinery of the gland has arisen only since about 1970. There is widespread uncertainty as to how the Prl effect takes place: by 1) increasing the free steroid concentration in the blood; 2) facilitating the uptake of protein-bound androgen; 3) increasing, by metabolism or receptor-binding, the concentration gradient that can support passive diffusion of the steroid across the plasma membrane; or 4) modification of the fluidity of the membrane itself to increase the solubility of the steroid in the lipoprotein and, thus, the ease of penetration of the cell. The present study attempted to learn if Prl is an effective stimulus of androgen uptake when the first three options are not operative. Using an equilibrium exchange procedure to track the uptake of [17 alpha-3H]-testosterone ([17 alpha-3H]-T) into minced benign hyperplastic human prostate tissue and the irreversible metabolism of the entering steroid to [17 alpha-3H]-dihydrotestosterone [17 alpha-3H]-DHT, it was found that the rate of production of the 5 alpha-reduced metabolite, during a 1-hr incubation in vitro, was directly proportional to the concentration of ovine Prl over the dose range of 0-160 ng/ml. The clinical significance of Prl mediation of steroid uptake is discussed, and suggestions are made as to how the Prl might alter the permeability of the plasma membrane.

Influences of dihydrotestosterone, testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, or prolactin on the cell kinetics of human hyperplastic prostatic tissue in organ culture

In an effort to characterize the hormone sensitivity of human benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) maintained in organ cultures for 12-72 h, the influence of 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone (T), 17-beta-estradiol (E2), progesterone (Pg), or prolactin (PRL) was assessed on the cell proliferation rate of 25 BPH specimens by the use of tritiated thymidine incorporation followed by autoradiography. Significant increases in the thymidine-labeling index (TLI: percentage of labeled nuclei) were observed in glandular tissue after a 36-h incubation period in presence of DHT, E2, Pg, or PRL in 52%, 44%, 28%, and 60% of BPH cases, respectively. Nonparametric statistics (Spearman and Kendall rank correlation tests) have shown that 1) the steroid-induced TLI increases are dependent on the basal rate of cell proliferation, while the PRL-induced effect is independent of it, and 2) all the steroid-mediated effects on BPH TLI are correlated together, whereas they seem to be independent of the PRL-induced TLI increase. When T was compared with DHT on nine BPH specimens, three were found to be sensitive to both hormones, and two responded to DHT only. We propose that our study methods are suitable as a means to assess the hormone sensitivity of individual cases of BPH and possibly prostatic tumors.

Somatostatin analogs as adjuncts to agonists of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in the treatment of experimental prostate cancer

The combination of a long-acting delivery system for the agonist [D-Trp6]luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone ([D-Trp6]LH-RH) with modern somatostatin analogs was studied in the Dunning R-3327H rat prostate cancer model. Microcapsules of [D-Trp6]LH-RH releasing 25 micrograms/day were injected once a month. In the first experiment the adjunct was the somatostatin analog D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Cys-Thr-NH2 (RC-121), administered at a dose of 2.5 micrograms twice a day, and the therapy was continued for 70 days. Tumor volume was significantly decreased by [D-Trp6]LH-RH microcapsules or RC-121 given alone. The combination of microcapsules and analog RC-121 caused a greater inhibition of tumor growth than the single agents. Similar effects were seen when the percent increase in the tumor volume was examined. The inhibition of tumor growth caused by the [D-Trp6]LH-RH microcapsules was greater than that caused by RC-121. The combination of the two agents was again the most effective, resulting in the smallest increase in tumor volume. Tumor weights were much lower in the groups treated with microcapsules or RC-121 alone than in controls. The lowest tumor weights were obtained in the group that received the combination of [D-Trp6]LH-RH microcapsules and RC-121. Similar results were obtained in the second experiment, in which the animals were treated for a period of 83 days with microcapsules containing the somatostatin analog D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Cys-Trp-NH2 (RC-160) that released 5 micrograms/day and were injected twice a month alone or in combination with microcapsules of [D-Trp6]LH-RH. Microcapsules of analog RC-160 given alone significantly decreased tumor growth as measured by the final tumor volume, the percentage change from the initial tumor volume, and the reduction in tumor weight. The inhibition of tumor growth induced by [D-Trp6]LH-RH microcapsules was greater than that caused by RC-160. The most striking decrease in tumor weight and volume was obtained in animals treated with microcapsules of [D-Trp6]LH-RH combined with the delayed delivery system for RC-160. The overall response to the combination therapy could reflect the inhibition by somatostatin analogs of the proliferation of prostate cancer cells through a decrease in growth hormone and prolactin release and interference with endogenous growth factors, in addition to the main effect, which is the suppression by [D-Trp6]LH-RH of the growth of androgen-dependent tumor cells. Our results indicate that somatostatin analogs enhance the inhibitory effects of [D-Trp6]LH-RH on the growth of prostate tumors. The administration of somatostatin analogs in combination with microcapsules of [D-Trp6]LH-RH might improve clinical response in patients with advanced prostate carcinoma.

Effect of long-term hyperprolactinemia on the prolactin receptor content of the rat ventral prostate

The rat ventral prostate contains prolactin receptors, and during sexual maturation prolactin stimulates the growth of this gland. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate whether prolactin is involved in the regulation of the number of its own receptor sites in the rat ventral prostate. To this end, the content of prolactin receptors was estimated in prostate membranes of control and chronically hyperprolactinemic rats both before and after in vitro desaturation with 4 M MgCl2. Hyperprolactinemia resulted in a 40% increase in the number of available prolactin receptors (P less than 0.05). In vitro desaturation of receptors resulted in loss of 84% of protein and 36 +/- 6% and 52 +/- 6% of prolactin receptors from ventral prostate membranes of control and hyperprolactinemic rats respectively (P less than 0.05). We have concluded that the rat ventral prostate membranes are not suited to in vitro desaturation of prolactin receptors with MgCl2. From the increase in the number of available prolactin receptors after hyperprolactinemia we have concluded that prolactin is involved in the regulation of the number of its own receptors in the rat ventral prostate.