Growth factor expression in early stages of benign prostatic hyperplasia upon exposure to sustained delivery of androgens.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition that affects a significant population of older males, yet its pathogenesis is not clearly understood. This study was designed to give broader insight into the early development of BPH by looking at changes in growth factor production in the ventral prostate. To accomplish this, Sprague Dawley rats (n = 16, 250-300 g) were randomly divided into four equal groups. Three treatment groups were each implanted with ceramic drug delivery devices that were designed to deliver continuous physiologic doses of testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and androstenedione (AED) for ninety-day duration. Immuno-histochemical analysis for epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) indicated whether these growth factors were involved in early processes of BPH induced by the delivery of androgens. Histopathological evaluation demonstrated increased positive reactivity for both EGF and bFGF in all steroid treated animals compared to controls. A similar trend was observed in the vascular endothelium. This information could be helpful in developing new methods for early diagnosis of BPH, but more importantly this knowledge provides the literature with clues about the cellular responses encountered at the initiation of the disease process.