Hyaluronan Content and Distribution in the Rat Ventral Prostate after Castration

Hyaluronan (HA) has been implicated in tissue remodeling, healing, and tumor growth. This study investigated the variation in hyaluronan content, distribution, and metabolism in the rat ventral prostate in response to androgen deprivation after castration. Hyaluronan synthases (HAS 1-3) and hyaluronidases (Hyal 1-3) mRNA abundance and CD44 (a HA receptor) distribution were assessed by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The results demonstrated an increasingly concentration, but an overall reduction of HA content. HA was located in both epithelium and stroma of the prostate of both non-castrated and castrated animals. qRT-PCR showed that Has1 and 2 are major synthases and that Hyal 1 was the predominant hydrolase expressed in the VP. qRT-PCR also showed that Has1 and Has2 mRNA increased transiently after castration, whereas Has3 mRNA declined markedly. While Hyal 1 mRNA increased slowly up to day 21 after castration, Hyal2 and Hyal3 mRNA dropped significantly. Accordingly, acidic hyaluronidase (lysosomal; Hyal 3) activity decreased after castration. CD44 was found in the epithelial cells and in some stromal cells in both hormonal conditions. In conclusion, castration results in increased non-lysosomal hyaluronidase activity in concert with higher Has1 and Has2 mRNA abundance, resulting in decreased HA absolute content, increased concentration and a predominance of short-chain HA molecules.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author