Intraprostatic androgen maintenance

Androgens and the androgen receptor (AR) signalling pathway are intimately associated with prostate carcinogenesis, and androgen deprivation therapy remains the most effective way to prevent the growth of metastatic prostate cancer (PC). However, complex relationship between serum and prostate tissue androgen levels and the risk of PC is not well understood. In metastatic PC, changes in the androgen biosynthesis pathway during hormone therapy result in increased levels of androgens in cancer tissue and contribute to continued androgen receptor (AR) signalling. It is possible that similar changes occur in normal prostate tissue as androgen levels decline with age and that this contributes to tumorigenesis.

To test this hypothesis, Zhou et al. first sought to determine whether the rat prostate could be used to model intraprostatic androgen maintenance. They also comprehensively examined the expression of genes in the androgen/AR signalling pathway to determine whether changes in these genes correlated with the ability of the rat prostate to maintain androgen levels.

Their study shows that the rat can provide a useful model for understanding the relationship between serum and prostate tissue androgen levels. They also found that despite a wide range of serum testosterone levels, the levels of androgens in the prostate were fairly constant and not related to serum testosterone levels. Their study demonstrates that changes in the androgen/AR signalling axis probably contribute to intraprostatic androgen maintenance

Read the full article at Zhou et al (2013) Journal of Molecular Endocrinology 51; 143-153; DOI: 10.1530/JME-13-0060.