HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

 

MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in the prostates of male and female mongolian gerbils: effects of hormonal manipulation

Sabrina S. Rochel-Maia1*, Fernanda C. A. Santos2,5*, Patrícia S. L. Vilamaior5, Luis A. Justulin Jr3, Sérgio L. Felisbino4, Rejane M. Góes5 and Sebastião R. Taboga5

1Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil, 2Department of Morphology, Institute of Biology Sciences, Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Goiás, Brazil, 3Department of Morphology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro – UFTM, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 4Department of Morphology – Institute of Biosciences (IBB) – São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil and 5Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Humanities, and Exact Sciences (IBILCE), São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil
*The first two authors contributed equally to this paper.

Offprint requests to: Prof. Dr. Sebastião Roberto Taboga, Cristóvão Colombo 2265. CEP 15054–000. São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil. e-mail: taboga@ibilce.unesp.br


Summary. TIMPs in the prostates of male and female gerbils and evaluated the effects of testosterone on the expression of these enzymes. Ventral prostates from male gerbils that were either intact or had been castrated for 7 or 21 days, along with prostates from female gerbils that were either intact or had been treated with testosterone for 7 or 21 days, were submitted to histological, stereological and immunohistochemical analyses. Stereology of prostatic components showed significant alterations of tissue compartments in the ventral male prostate after castration, especially after 21 days, with a significant increase in stroma. Administration of testosterone led to disorganization in the female prostate, with a significant increase in collagen fibers and smooth muscle cells after 21 days, along with the development of epithelial lesions such as PINs. MMP-2 increased after 21 days of castration in males; however, the TIMP-2 immunoreaction for this group was weak or absent. In females, the expression of MMP-2 appeared to decrease after 7 days of treatment with testosterone, but after 21 days, both epithelium and stroma showed a stronger reaction for MMP-2 than the controls. The expression of TIMP-2 in the treated females was similar to its expression in the castrated males. We conclude that the distribution of MMPs and TIMPs in both male and female prostates is altered by androgen manipulation, but the mechanism of stromal regulation appears to be distinct between genders because both the lack of T in castrated males and the excess levels of T in treated females lead to the same effect
. Histol Histopathol 26, 1423-1434 (2011)

Key words: MMP, TIMP, Female prostate, Ventral prostate, Testosterone

DOI: 10.14670/HH-26.1423