Long-term effects of perinatal exposure to low doses of cadmium on the prostate of adult male rats.

Developmental toxicity caused by environmental exposure to heavy metals during the perinatal period has raised questions about offspring health. Cadmium (Cd) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical with the potential to interfere with morphogenesis and susceptibility to diseases in reproductive organs. Taking into account that in the rat prostate morphogenesis occurs during the perinatal period, and that pregnant females absorb and retain more dietary Cd than their non-pregnant counterparts, it is important to understand the effects of perinatal Cd exposure on the adult rat prostate.

Gestational and lactational exposition to Di-N-butyl-phthalate (DBP) increases inflammation and preneoplastic lesions in prostate of wistar rats after carcinogenic N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) plus testosterone protocol.

In the present study, it was evaluated the susceptibility of prostatic lesions in male adult rats exposed to Di-N-butyl-phthalate during fetal and lactational periods and submitted to MNU plus testosterone carcinogenesis protocol. Pregnant females were distributed into four experimental groups: CN (negative control); CMNU (MNU control); TDBP100 (100 mg/kg of DBP); TDBP500 (500 mg/kg of DBP). Females from the TDBP groups received DBP, by gavage, from gestation day 15 (GD15) to postnatal day 21 (DPN21), while C animals received the vehicle (corn oil).

Key participants of the tumor microenvironment of the prostate: an approach of the structural dynamic of cellular elements and extracellular matrix components during epithelial-stromal transition.

Cancer is a multistep process that begins with the transformation of normal epithelial cells and continues with tumor growth, stromal invasion and metastasis. The remodeling of the peritumoral environment is decisive for the onset of tumor invasiveness. This event is dependent on epithelial-stromal interactions, degradation of extracellular matrix components and reorganization of fibrillar components.

The role of TMPRSS2:ERG in molecular stratification of PCa and its association with tumor aggressiveness: a study in Brazilian patients.

Recurrent gene fusions between the genes TMPRSS2 and ERG have been described in prostate cancer (PCa) and are found in 27% to 79% of radical prostatectomy. This fusion transcription results in ERG overexpression, which can be detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and provide a potential diagnostic marker for PCa. Three tissue microarrays (TMAs) containing samples from 98 patients with PCa and one TMA of 27 samples from individuals without PCa were tested for ERG immunostaining, and the presence of TMPRSS2:ERG transcripts was confirmed by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR).

Characterization of p16 and E6 HPV-related proteins in uterine cervix high-grade lesions of patients treated by conization with large loop excision.

Cervical cancer and its precursor lesions represent a significant public health problem for developing and less-developed countries. Cervical carcinogenesis is strongly correlated with persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which is mostly associated with expression of the p16 and E6 HPV-related proteins. The aim of this present study was to determine the expression of the p16 and E6 proteins in females with high-grade lesions treated with conization, and to discuss the role of these proteins as prognostic markers following treatment.

Phenotypic and metabolic aspects of prostatic epithelial cells in aged gerbils after antisteroidal therapy: turnover in the state of chromatin condensation and androgen-independent cell replacement.

The gerbil is a rodent considered a good model for studies of prostatic morphophysiology under different experimental conditions. Studies involving castration and steroidal blockers of aged gerbils showed that the glandular epithelium persists after long-term therapy, preventing the organ atrophy. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the phenotypic characteristics and behavior of prostatic epithelial cells that remained after different periods of hormone ablation in aged gerbils.

Ki-67 and CD100 immunohistochemical expression is associated with local recurrence and poor prognosis in soft tissue sarcomas, respectively.

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumors of >50 subtypes. However, STSs represent <1% of types of cancer. Despite this low frequency, the disease is aggressive and treatment, when possible, is based on traditional chemotherapies.

A new proposed rodent model of chemically induced prostate carcinogenesis: distinct time-course prostate cancer progression in the dorsolateral and ventral lobes.

Background: Characterization of novel rodent models for prostate cancer studies requires evaluation of either spontaneous and carcinogen-induced tumors as well as tumor incidence in different prostatic lobes. We propose a new short-term rodent model of chemically induced prostate carcinogenesis in which prostate cancer progression occurs differentially in the dorsolateral and ventral lobes.

Methods: Adult gerbils were treated with MNU alone or associated with testosterone for 3 or 6 months of treatment.

Mechanisms and role of microRNA deregulation in cancer onset and progression.

MicroRNAs are key regulators of various fundamental biological processes and, although representing only a small portion of the genome, they regulate a much larger population of target genes. Mature microRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded RNA molecules of 20-23 nucleotide (nt) length that control gene expression in many cellular processes. These molecules typically reduce the stability of mRNAs, including those of genes that mediate processes in tumorigenesis, such as inflammation, cell cycle regulation, stress response, differentiation, apoptosis and invasion.

Functional and morphological reproductive aspects in male rats exposed to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) in utero and during lactation.

The potential adverse reproductive effects, with emphasis on the epididymis, of in utero and lactational exposure to 100 mg/kg/d di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) in adult male rat offspring were investigated. The fetal testis histopathology was also determined. The selected endpoints included reproductive organ weights, sperm motility and morphology, sperm epididymal transit time, sperm quantity in the testis and epididymis, hormonal status, fetal testis and epididymal histopathology and stereology, and androgen receptor (AR), aquaporin 9 (AQP9), and Ki-67 immunoreactivities.

Tissue changes in senescent gerbil prostate after hormone deprivation leads to acquisition of androgen insensitivity.

The present study examined the response of the prostate epithelium of senescent gerbils submitted to orchiectomy and with or without steroidal blockade. Animals were divided into five groups, all surgically castrated except the control group composed of intact animals. In the experimental groups, doses of flutamide and/or tamoxifen were applied for 1, 3, 7 and 30 days postcastration.

Disorders related with ageing in the gerbil female prostate (Skene's paraurethral glands).

The female organs, which are regulated by steroid hormones, are targets of studies especially those related to senescence. However, although the female prostate is an organ influenced by hormones and susceptible to lesions, there is still little information about its histopathology. Thus, given the morphophysiological similarity between the prostate in women and female gerbils, the present study aimed to identify the spontaneous histopathological changes in this rodent to provide contributions to the understanding of lesions that also affect the human female prostate.

Prostate carcinogenesis induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (mnu) in gerbils: histopathological diagnosis and potential invasiveness mediated by extracellular matrix components.

In the present study prostate lesions were induced in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) treated with a single N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) dose; thus, the incidence, latency and histology of these lesions were evaluated. Fibrillar elements of the extracellular matrix associated with microinvasive sites were also investigated. Animals were divided into 5 groups, including 2 control groups: (1) remained untreated; (2) received the corn oil vehicle (vehicle, 0.

Long-term effects of developmental exposure to di-n-butyl-phthalate (DBP) on rat prostate: proliferative and inflammatory disorders and a possible role of androgens.

In the present study we evaluated the toxic effects on the male adult rat prostate of DBP exposure during fetal and lactational periods, because although many studies have addressed the influence of phthalates on the male reproductive system, only a few have discussed their possible effects on prostate development. Pregnant females were distributed into two experimental groups: Control (C) and Treated (T). The females of the T group received DBP (100mg/kg, by gavage) from gestation day 12 to postnatal day 21, while C rats received the vehicle (corn oil).

Long-term inhibition of 5-alpha reductase and aromatase changes the cellular and extracellular compartments in gerbil ventral prostate at different postnatal ages.

As local steroid metabolism controls the bioavailability of active steroidal hormones in the prostate, the aim of this study, was to investigate the effects of absence of 5-alpha reductase (5alpha-r) and aromatase (Aro) enzymes on prostatic cellular and extracellular components after long-term inhibition. Young, adult and old male Mongolian gerbils were treated orally, once a day, for 30 consecutive days, with Finasteride (10.0 mg/kg) and Letrozole (1.

Antiestrogen therapies affect tissue homeostasis of the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) female prostate and ovaries.

The present work aims to evaluate the response of the adult gerbil female prostate (paraurethral glands) and ovaries to short-term exposure to antiestrogenic agents, consisting of daily oral doses of letrozole (1 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) or intradermal doses of tamoxifen (1 mg/kg) every other day for 21 days. The serum levels of testosterone and estradiol were monitored, and the prostates and ovaries collected for structural, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical analyses. The letrozole treatment resulted in increases of serum testosterone levels and secretory activity as well as in glandular hyperplasia and dysplastic growth, simulating the effects caused by the exogenous androgens.

Androgen receptor in the Mongolian gerbil ventral prostate: evaluation during different phases of postnatal development and following androgen blockage.

The normal growth, differentiation and maintenance of the morphofunctional integrity of the prostate gland are dependent on the interaction of constant levels of androgens with their receptors. The need to study the responses to hormones under several conditions and the effect of their blockage is due to the fact that the human prostate is the site of a great number of age-related diseases, and the ones with a major medical importance are prostate cancer (CaP) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which can both be treated with androgen suppression. Seventy-five male gerbils were divided, randomly, into 3 groups of 25 animals each, where each group corresponded to one phase of postnatal development.

Aging effects on the mongolian gerbil female prostate (Skene's paraurethral glands): structural, ultrastructural, quantitative, and hormonal evaluations.

Different from the classic view, the prostate is not a gland exclusive to the male, also being an organ of the female genital system presenting morphofunctional similarity between human and rodent. Thus structural, ultrastructural, morphometric-stereological features of the female prostate (Skene's paraurethral gland) and steroid serological levels were evaluated during young, adult, and senile ages in the Mongolian gerbil. The morphofunctional precocity of the female gland in comparison with the male gland occurring in young gland is probably associated with the female circulating steroid levels.

Age-related histopathological lesions in the Mongolian gerbil ventral prostate as a good model for studies of spontaneous hormone-related disorders.

The Meriones unguiculatus (Mongolian) gerbil has demonstrated significant prostatic responses to hormonal treatments, and to drugs against human prostatic hyperplasia. Spontaneous neoplasia develops in the older animals. Thirty gerbils (age 18 months) were divided into non-affected and prostatic lesion bearers and the prostate lesions were evaluated morphologically, immunohistochemically and quantitatively.

Apoptosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma and its correlation with clinically occult cervical metastasis.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue is one of the most common head and neck cancer. Treatment in the early stages is still controversial. This study aims to correlate the apoptosis rate of primary tongue cancer with cervical node metastasis, found in the histopathological studies of specimens obtained from neck dissections or during clinical follow-up.

Oestrogen supplementation following castration promotes stromal remodelling and histopathological alterations in the Mongolian gerbil ventral prostate.

The effect of oestradiol on the intact and castrated adult gerbil prostate was evaluated by focussing on stromal and epithelial disorders, and hormonal receptor immunoreactivity. The experimental animals were studied by histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques, morphometric-stereological analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Epithelial alterations in the oestradiol-treated animals were frequent, with an increase in epithelial cell height, areas of intense dysplasia and hyperplasia and formation of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN).

Changes in nuclear phenotype frequencies following sequential cold shocks in Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera, Reduviidae).

The nuclear phenotypes of Malpighian tubule cells in fifth instar nymphs of Triatoma infestans, one of the most important vectors of Chagas disease, were studied following sequential shocks at 0 degrees C, separated by intervals of 8 h and 24 h at 30 degrees C, under conditions of moderate fasting and full nourishment. The insects pertained to colonies reared in the laboratory and originated from domestic specimens collected in the Brazilian states of São Paulo (north) and Minas Gerais (south). Since nuclear phenotypes in this species are affected by single cold shocks, it was expected that these phenotypes could also be changed by sequential shocks.

Effect of sequential cold shocks on survival and molting rate in Triatoma infestans klug.

The survival and molting incidence in Triatoma infestans, a vector of Chagas disease, were investigated following sequential shocks at 0 degrees C in fifth instar nymphs under moderate fasting and full nutritional conditions. The shocks were separated by intervals of 8 h and 24 h at 30 degrees C. The results indicated that in terms of insect survival, T.