2002 Volume 35 Issue 5 Pages 353-359
The atrophic effect of a synthetic steroidal antiandrogen, chlormadinone acetate (CMA), on spontaneous benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was investigated. Male beagle dogs (5-8 years old) were divided into four experimental groups. Group 1 consisted of untreated controls. Groups 2 to 4 received CMA 0.03, 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg/day, p.o., respectively, for 6 months. In group 1, glandular hyperplasia of the prostate was clearly detected. The glandular epithelial cells showed uniformly intense nuclear staining for androgen receptor (AR). AR was also localized in the nuclei of the fibro-muscular stromal cells. Immunoreactively of 5 alpha-reductase type I was positive in most glandular epithelial cells. No fibro-muscular stromal cells were stained. Immunolocalization of 5 alpha-reductase type II was clearly detected in the interacinar fibro-muscular stromal cells, but not in the glandular epithelial cells. In groups 2 to 4, CMA produced marked atrophy of the glandular epithelium. The interacinar fibro-muscular stroma was prominent. The nuclear staining for AR in both epitheial and stromal cells was remarkably decreased. Furthermore, the immunoreaction for 5 alpha-reductase type I in most glandular epithelial cells was negative or very weak. The immunoreaction of 5 alpha-reductase type II in the interacinar fibro-muscular stromal cells was negative or very weak. The decreased AR-immunostaining may be explained by the decrease in the number of AR and it may play a key role in the down-regulation of 5 alpha-reductase gene expression by CMA. The atrophy after treatment with CMA may be due to shrinkage of both glandular and stromal compartments in the prostate tissue.
