This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by ANDREASEN, P. A. Articles by DANØ, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by ANDREASEN, P. A. Articles by DANØ, K.

Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Is Increased in the Involuting Ventral Prostate of Castrated Rats^*

Institute of Molecular Biology and Plant Physiology (P.A.A.), University of Århus 8000 Århus C, Denmark
and Finsen Laboratory (P.K., L.R.L., K.D.) Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. Peter A. Andreasen, Institute of Molecular Biology and Plant Physiology, University of Arhus, 130 C.F. M0ller's Alle, 8000 Arhus C, Denmark.

Abstract

We have investigated the content of plasminogen activators in the rat ventral prostate during castration. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and zymography demonstrated two major M_rforms of plasminogen activators that were found to be strongly increased by castration; inclusion of quenching antibodies in the zymography and immunoblotting analysis identified these as urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) and its Mr 30,000 degradation product, respectively. A third, less abundant form, which was identified as tissue-type plasminogen activator, was also increased by castration. The induction of the plasminogen activators was prevented by treating the rats with 5-dihydrotestosterone. The increase in u-PA antigen was quantitated by the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The increases in u-PA activity and antigen were traced back to a corresponding increase in u-PA messenger RNA (mRNA). By immunohistochemical methods, the u-PA was found to be present in scattered single cells at the surface of the epithelium facing the lumen of the glandular ducts. Such cells were present in control as well as in castrated rats, but their number increased after castration. In addition, after castration, u-PA immunoreactivity appeared in cells throughout the epithelium. These results suggest a role for plasminogen activation in castration-induced involution of the rat ventral prostate, and a role in the normal turnover of the rat ventral prostate epithelium. (Endocrinology 126: 2567–2576,1990)

Footnotes

^* This work was supported by the Danish Medical Research Council, the Danish Cancer Society, and the Danish Biotechnology Program.

Received August 9, 1989.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. M. Hussaini, C. Trotter, Y. Zhao, R. Abdel-Fattah, S. Amos, A. Xiao, C. U. Agi, G. T. Redpath, Z. Fang, G. K.K. Leung, et al. Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Is Differentially Expressed in Nonfunctioning Invasive and Noninvasive Pituitary Adenomas and Increases Invasion in Human Pituitary Adenoma Cell Line Am. J. Pathol., January 1, 2007; 170(1): 356 - 365. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Lund, J Romer, N Thomasset, H Solberg, C Pyke, M. Bissell, K Dano, and Z Werb Two distinct phases of apoptosis in mammary gland involution: proteinase-independent and -dependent pathways Development, January 1, 1996; 122(1): 181 - 193. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E. Lengyel, E. Stepp, R. Gum, and D. Boyd Involvement of a Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway in the Regulation of Urokinase Promoter Activity by c-Ha-ras J. Biol. Chem., September 29, 1995; 270(39): 23007 - 23012. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]