HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

Cellular localization of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) in benign prostatic hyperplasia

F. Sinowatz1, D. Schams2, R. Einspanier2, G. Arnold3, M. Pfeffer4, L. Temmim-Baker5, W. Amselgruber1 and J. Plendl1

1Institute of Anatomy II, Veterinary Faculty, University of Munich, Munich, 2Institute of Physiology, Technical University of Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan, 3Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Genzentrum, Martinsried, University of Munich, 4Institute of Medical Microbiology, Infections- and Epidemic Diseases, University of Munich, Germany and 5Kuwait Cancer Control Center, Kuwait

Offprint requests to: Prof. Dr. Dr. Fred Sinowatz, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Munich, Veterinärstraße 13, D-80539 Munich, Germany. e-mail: f.sinowatz@anat.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de

 

Summary. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2, basic fibroblast growth factor) has been reported to be elevated in tissues from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the most frequent neoplastic disease in aging men. This suggests that FGF-2 may play a significant role in the development of BPH. In this study the cellular distribution pattern of FGF-2 in tissues from BPH has been investigated by immunohistochemical and molecular biological methods. Radioimmunoassay revealed high concentrations of FGF-2, ranging between 450 and 950 ng per g tissue. Immunoblots confirmed the presence of a 18 kDa FGF-2 in tissue extracts. By immunohistochemistry done with a polyclonal antibody to recombinant FGF-2 on paraffin sections, FGF-2 was localized in fibroblasts, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of tissue samples of BPH. Nuclei of these cells were labelled distinctly. Moreover the cytoplasm of smooth muscle cells was labelled moderately. No immunostaining was seen in prostatic epithelium. Non-radioactive in situ hybridization with digoxygenin-labelled oligonucleotides revealed the presence of mRNA for FGF-2 in smooth muscle cells of the prostatic stroma. These results provide evidence that FGF-2 may be produced locally in the human prostate as a stroma-specific mitogen and may play a causal role in the development of BPH. Histol. Histopathol. 15, 475-481 (2000)

 

Key words: BPH, FGF-2, Immunocytochemistry, In situ hybridisation



DOI: 10.14670/HH-15.475