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Updated: Sep 5, 2026
Generation of a Mouse Prostate Organoid-Based Model for Studying Host-Pathogen Interactions
Published on: February 27, 2026
Adult Levels of Testosterone Induce Prostatic Epithelial Hyperplasia During Mouse Prostate Development Through
D'Netria Bledsoe1, Zhengxin Wang1
1Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Department of Biological Sciences, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Background:
During puberty, androgen levels surge to drive development and maturation of the prostate, a male accessory reproductive organ. The objective of this study is to determine the dose dependent effect of the androgen on the mouse pubertal prostate development.
Methods:
Male Blb/C mice were castrated, and various amounts of the androgen were implanted before puberty. The dosage-dependent effect of the androgen on pubertal prostate development was investigated.
Results:
Mouse prostate development was initiated at the age of 30 days when testosterone reached 550 pg/mL and completed at the age of 60 days when testosterone reached 1,000 pg/mL. The minimal serum testosterone level (800 pg/mL) was required for full development of the prostate. Androgen implantation, before the start of puberty, resulted in a high serum testosterone level (1200 pg/mL), equivalent to that of the physiological adult level, that induced a prostatic epithelial hyperplasia phenotype with an enlarged prostate gland. The high levels of androgen increased epithelial cell proliferation and expression of the androgen receptor-target genes in the pubertal prostate.
Conclusion:
This research provides an important insight into the androgen's effect on prostate development through puberty.
