IngentaConnect Oestrogen receptor alpha and beta in rat prostate and epididymis

Abstract:

The cellular localization of two oestrogen receptor (ER) subtypes, ERα and ERβ, was investigated in neonatal, postnatal, immature and adult male rats to determine whether these receptor subtypes are differentially expressed in prostate and epididymis. A monoclonal antibody against ERα and two polyclonal ERβ antibodies were used. Paraffin sections revealed a specific nuclear immunoreaction product in certain cells but not in others. In the epididymis, nuclear ERα immunoreactivity (IR) was detected in epithelial cells of efferent ductules and initial segments as well as in connective tissue surrounding the tubules in caput, corpus and cauda. No IR was observed in rete testis. Epithelial cells of the prostate lacked ERα IR, but connective tissue cells surrounding prostatic buds in the early neonatal period revealed IR. In prostate, ERβ IR was expressed in epithelial cells of the ventral and dorsolateral lobes, but the IR intensity was higher in the ventral lobe. In neonatal rats, ERβ was expressed in the epididymis but not in the prostate gland. Weak ERβ expression was found in the prostates of 5-day-old rats, and the reaction increased in intensity thereafter. In the epididymis, a similar developmental expression pattern of ERβ was observed. ERβ expression in prostate and epididymis was similar to expression of androgen receptors reported previously for these organs. The results support that both ERα and ERβ may be involved in oestrogen modulation of prostate and epididymal functions.