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"Prostate telocytes change their phenotype in response to castration or testosterone replacement"
Sérgio Luis Felisbino1, Bruno Domingos Azevedo Sanches2, Flávia Karina Delella1
1Sao Paulo State University - UNESP, Institute of Biosciences, Laboratory of Extracellular Matrix, Prof. Dr. Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin St., 250, Rubião Júnior District, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18618-689, Brazil.
Scientific Reports
|March 8, 2019
Summary
Telocytes in the prostate exhibit remarkable plasticity, changing their structure and function in response to testosterone levels. These CD34-positive cells play a role in prostate tissue remodeling during involution and regrowth.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Histology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Telocytes are CD34-positive cells with unique telopodes, found in various organ stroma.
- The prostate gland undergoes involution with low testosterone and can recover with replacement therapy.
- The role of telocytes in prostate tissue remodeling during these hormonal changes is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate telocyte phenotypes in the rat ventral prostate under different testosterone conditions.
- To determine if telocytes contribute to tissue remodeling during prostate involution and regrowth.
Main Methods:
- Structural, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical analyses were performed.
- Ventral prostates from control, castrated, and testosterone-replaced Wistar rats were examined.
- Telocyte morphology and association with stromal components were assessed.
Main Results:
- Telocytes were identified in subepithelial, perimuscular, and interstitial regions.
- Castration led to quiescent telocytes with folded telopodes.
- Testosterone replacement induced a "synthetic phenotype" with enlarged telopodes associated with collagen, which reverted to normal over 10 days.
Conclusions:
- Telocytes display significant phenotypic plasticity in response to androgen manipulation.
- These cells interact with fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells to maintain prostate architecture.
- Telocytes are involved in prostate tissue remodeling following hormonal changes.