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Updated: Jun 18, 2025
Identification Of Erythromyeloid Progenitors And Their Progeny In The Mouse Embryo By Flow Cytometry
Published on: July 17, 2017
Macrophages of multiple hematopoietic origins reside in the developing prostate
Sally W Feng1,2, Tanya M North1,2, Peri Wivell1,2
1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
Abstract:
Tissue-resident macrophages contribute to the organogenesis of many tissues. Growth of the prostate is regulated by androgens during puberty, yet androgens are considered immune suppressive. In this study, we characterized the localization, androgen receptor expression and hematopoietic origin of prostate macrophages, and transiently ablated macrophages during postnatal prostate organogenesis in the mouse. We show that myeloid cells were abundant in the prostate during puberty. However, nuclear androgen receptor expression was not detected in most macrophages. We found Cx3cr1, a marker for macrophages, monocytes and dendritic cells, expressed in interstitial macrophages surrounding the prostate and associated with nerve fibers. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the co-existence of embryonic origin, self-renewing, tissue-resident macrophages and recruited macrophages of bone-marrow monocyte origin in the prostate during puberty. Our findings suggest that prostate macrophages promote neural patterning and may shed further light on our understanding of the role of the innate immune system in prostate pathology in response to inflammation and in cancer.
Insights
Prostate macrophages, crucial for organ development, are not directly regulated by androgens. These immune cells, originating from both embryonic and bone marrow sources, influence nerve development in the prostate.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Developmental Biology
- Urology
Background:
- Tissue-resident macrophages are vital for organogenesis.
- Prostate growth is androgen-dependent, but androgens are typically immunosuppressive.
- The role of prostate macrophages in development is poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize prostate macrophages during postnatal development.
- To investigate their localization, androgen receptor (AR) expression, and origin.
- To assess the impact of macrophage ablation on prostate organogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of myeloid cell populations in the developing mouse prostate.
- Assessment of nuclear androgen receptor expression in prostate macrophages.
- Analysis of macrophage origins using lineage tracing and bone marrow chimeras.
- Transient ablation of macrophages during postnatal prostate development.
Main Results:
- Myeloid cells, including macrophages (Cx3cr1+), are abundant in the pubertal prostate.
- Most prostate macrophages do not express nuclear androgen receptors.
- Prostate macrophages exhibit dual origins: embryonic-derived tissue-resident and adult bone marrow-derived.
- Macrophages are associated with prostate nerve fibers, suggesting a role in neural patterning.
Conclusions:
- Prostate macrophages are present during puberty and are not directly targeted by androgens.
- They represent a mixed population of tissue-resident and recruited cells.
- These macrophages play a role in prostate neural patterning.
- Findings offer insights into innate immunity's role in prostate health and disease, including cancer.
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