Gene expression profiles in human BPH: utilization of laser-capture microdissection and quantitative real-time PCR.

Human benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) nodules consist of epithelium and stroma that have different properties functionally as well as morphologically. To investigate the molecular profiles of the prostate gland, separate examination of these components are necessary. Laser-capture microdissection (LCM) is a newly-developed device which enables one to dissect interesting parts of tissues under the microscope. In the current work we studied the gene expression profiles of prostatic epithelium and stroma using LCM. Androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor alpha and beta (ER alpha and ER beta), progesterone receptor (PR) and 5-alpha reductase type I and type II (5alphaR I and 5alphaR II) gene expressions were studied by RT-PCR. All of these genes were expressed both in the epithelium and stroma. Furthermore, AR transcript was quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. AR transcript ranged from 302 to 1440 copies per 10(5) GAPDH copies and from 257 to 3223 copies per 10(5) GAPDH copies in the epithelium and stroma, respectively. Thus, LCM and quantitative real-time PCR are powerful tools for molecular analysis of heterogeneous tissues including prostate gland.