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Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition generally associated with advanced age in men that can be accompanied by bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) including intermittency, weak stream, straining, urgency, frequency, and incomplete bladder voiding. Pharmacotherapies for LUTS/BPH include alpha-blockers, which relax prostatic and urethral smooth muscle and 5ɑ-reductase inhibitors such as finasteride, which can block conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone thereby reducing prostate volume. Celecoxib is a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor that reduces inflammation and has shown some promise in reducing prostatic inflammation and alleviating LUTS for some men with histological BPH. However, finasteride and celecoxib can reduce mitochondrial function in some contexts, potentially impacting their efficacy for alleviating BPH-associated LUTS., Methods: To determine the impact of these pharmacotherapies on mitochondrial function in prostate tissues, we performed immunostaining of mitochondrial Complex I (CI) protein NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 3 (NDUFS3) and inflammatory cells on BPH specimens from patients naïve to treatment, or who were treated with celecoxib and/or finasteride for 28 days, as well as prostate tissues from male mice treated with celecoxib or vehicle control for 28 days. Quantification and statistical correlation analyses of immunostaining were performed., Results: NDUFS3 immunostaining was decreased in BPH compared to normal adjacent prostate. Patients treated with celecoxib and/or finasteride had significantly decreased NDUFS3 in both BPH and normal tissues, and no change in inflammatory cell infiltration compared to untreated patients. Mice treated with celecoxib also displayed a significant decrease in NDUFS3 immunostaining and no change in inflammatory cell infiltration., Conclusions: These findings suggest that celecoxib and/or finasteride are associated with an overall decrease in NDUFS3 levels in prostate tissues but do not impact the presence of inflammatory cells, suggesting a decline in mitochondrial CI function in the absence of enhanced inflammation. Given that BPH has recently been associated with increased prostatic mitochondrial dysfunction, celecoxib and/or finasteride may exacerbate existing mitochondrial dysfunction in some BPH patients thereby potentially limiting their overall efficacy in providing metabolic stability and symptom relief., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Prostate published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Older men frequently develop lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). Risk factors for LUTS/BPH include sedentary lifestyle, anxiety/depression, obesity, and frailty, which all increase with age. Although physical exercise may reduce the progression and/or severity of LUTS/BPH, the age-related mechanisms responsible remain unknown., Methods: Voiding symptoms, body mass, and frailty were assessed after 4-weeks of voluntary wheel running in 2-month (n = 10) and 24-month (n = 8) old C57Bl/6J male mice. In addition, various social and individual behaviors were examined in these cohorts. Finally, cellular and molecular markers of inflammation and mitochondrial protein expression were assessed in prostate tissue and systemically., Results: Despite running less (aged vs young X¯ = 12.3 vs 30.6 km/week; p = .04), aged mice had reduced voiding symptoms (X¯ = 67.3 vs 23.7; p < .0001) after 1 week of exercise, which was sustained through week 4 (X¯ = 67.3 vs 21.5; p < .0001). Exercise did not affect voiding symptoms in young mice. Exercise also increased mobility and decreased anxiety in both young and aged mice (p < .05). Exercise decreased expression of a key mitochondrial protein (PINK1; p < .05) and inflammation within the prostate (CD68; p < .05 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; p < .05) and in the serum (p < .05). However, a frailty index (X¯ = 0.17 vs 0.15; p = .46) and grip strength (X¯ = 1.10 vs 1.19; p = .24) were unchanged after 4 weeks of exercise in aged mice., Conclusions: Voluntary aerobic exercise improves voiding behavior and mobility, and decreases prostatic mitochondrial protein expression and inflammation in aged mice. This promising model could be used to evaluate molecular mechanisms of aerobic exercise as a novel lifestyle intervention for older men with LUTS/BPH., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Age is the greatest risk factor for lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). Although LUTS/BPH can be managed with pharmacotherapy, treatment failure has been putatively attributed to numerous pathological features of BPH (eg, prostatic fibrosis, inflammation). Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of aging; however, its impact on the pathological features of BPH remains unknown., Methods: Publicly available gene array data were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry examined mitochondrial proteins in the human prostate. The effect of complex I inhibition (rotenone) on a prostatic cell line was examined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunocytochemistry, and Seahorse assays. Oleic acid (OA) was tested as a bypass of complex I inhibition. Aged mice were treated with OA to examine its effects on urinary dysfunction. Voiding was assessed longitudinally, and a critical complex I protein measured., Results: Mitochondrial function and fibrosis genes were altered in BPH. Essential mitochondrial proteins (ie, voltage-dependent anion channels 1 and 2, PTEN-induced kinase 1, and NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 3, mitochondrial [NDUFS3]) were significantly (p < .05) decreased in BPH. Complex I inhibition in cultured cells resulted in decreased respiration, altered NDUFS3 expression, increased collagen deposition, and gene expression. OA ameliorated these effects. OA-treated aged mice had significantly (p < .05) improved voiding function and higher prostatic NDUFS3 expression., Conclusions: Complex I dysfunction is a potential contributor to fibrosis and lower urinary tract dysfunction in aged mice. OA partially bypasses complex I inhibition and therefore should be further investigated as a mitochondrial modulator for treatment of LUTS/BPH. Hypotheses generated in this investigation offer a heretofore unexplored cellular target of interest for the management of LUTS/BPH., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: With the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 transition to pass/fail in 2022, uncertainty exists regarding how other residency application components, including research conducted during medical school, will inform interview and ranking decisions. The authors explore program director (PD) views on medical student research, the importance of disseminating that work, and the translatable skill set of research participation., Method: Surveys were distributed to all U.S. residency PDs and remained open from August to November 2021 to query the importance of research participation in assessing applicants, whether certain types of research were more valued, productivity measures that reflect meaningful research participation, and traits for which research serves as a proxy. The survey also queried whether research would be more important without a numeric Step 1 score and the importance of research vs other application components., Results: A total of 885 responses from 393 institutions were received. Ten PDs indicated that research is not considered when reviewing applicants, leaving 875 responses for analysis. Among 873 PDs (2 nonrespondents), 358 (41.0%) replied that meaningful research participation will be more important in offering interviews. A total of 164 of 304 most competitive specialties (53.9%) reported increased research importance compared with 99 of 282 competitive (35.1%) and 95 of 287 least competitive (33.1%) specialties. PDs reported that meaningful research participation demonstrated intellectual curiosity (545 [62.3%]), critical and analytical thinking skills (482 [55.1%]), and self-directed learning skills (455 [52.0%]). PDs from the most competitive specialties were significantly more likely to indicate that they value basic science research vs PDs from the least competitive specialties., Conclusions: This study demonstrates how PDs value research in their review of applicants, what they perceive research represents in an applicant, and how these views are shifting as the Step 1 exam transitions to pass/fail., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the Association of American Medical Colleges.)

SARS-CoV-2 viremia is associated with increased acute lung injury (ALI) and mortality in children and adults. The mechanisms by which viral components in the circulation mediate ALI in COVID-19 remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (E) protein induces Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated ALI and lung remodeling in a model of neonatal COVID-19. Neonatal C57BL6 mice given intraperitoneal E protein injections revealed a dose-dependent increase in lung cytokines [interleukin 6 ( Il6 ), tumor necrosis factor ( Tnfα ), and interleukin 1 beta ( Il1β )] and canonical proinflammatory TLR signaling. Systemic E protein induced endothelial immune activation, immune cell influx, and TGFβ signaling and lung matrix remodeling inhibited alveolarization in the developing lung. E protein-mediated ALI and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling was repressed in Tlr2 -/- , but not Tlr4 -/- mice. A single dose of intraperitoneal E protein injection induced chronic alveolar remodeling as evidenced by a decrease in radial alveolar counts and increase in mean linear intercepts. Ciclesonide, a synthetic glucocorticoid, inhibited E protein-induced proinflammatory TLR signaling and ALI. In vitro, E protein-mediated inflammation and cell death were TLR2-dependent in human primary neonatal lung endothelial cells and were rescued by ciclesonide. This study provides insight into the pathogenesis of ALI and alveolar remodeling with SARS-CoV-2 viremia in children, whereas revealing the efficacy of steroids. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We reveal that the envelope protein of SARS-CoV-2 mediates acute lung injury (ALI) and alveolar remodeling through Toll-like receptor activation, which is rescued by the glucocorticoid, ciclesonide.

Prenatal exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids (sGCs) reprograms brain development and predisposes the developing fetus towards potential adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Using a mouse model of sGC administration, previous studies show that these changes are accompanied by sexually dimorphic alterations in the transcriptome of neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) derived from the embryonic telencephalon. Because cell type-specific gene expression profiles tightly regulate cell fate decisions and are controlled by a flexible landscape of chromatin domains upon which transcription factors and enhancer elements act, we multiplexed data from four genome-wide assays: RNA-seq, ATAC-seq (assay for transposase accessible chromatin followed by genome wide sequencing), dual cross-linking ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by genome wide sequencing), and microarray gene expression to identify novel relationships between gene regulation, chromatin structure, and genomic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) action in NSPCs. These data reveal that GR binds preferentially to predetermined regions of accessible chromatin to influence gene programming and cell fate decisions. In addition, we identify SOX2 as a transcription factor that impacts the genomic response of select GR target genes to sGCs (i.e., dexamethasone) in NSPCs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have any conflict of interest to disclose., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Risk factors for prostate cancer include age, environment, race and ethnicity. Genetic variants in cyclic-adenosine-monophosphate-response-element-binding protein 3 regulatory factor (CREBRF) gene are frequently observed in Pacific Islanders, a population with elevated prostate cancer incidence. CREBRF has been shown to play a role in other cancers, however its function in prostate homeostasis and tumorigenesis has not been previously explored. We determined the incidence of CREBRF alterations in publicly available databases and examined the impact of CREBRF deletion on the murine prostate in order to determine whether CREBRF impacts prostate physiology or pathophysiology., Methods: Alterations in CREBRF were identified in prostate cancer patients via in silico analysis of several publicly available datasets through cBioPortal. Male Crebrf knockout and wild-type littermate mice were generated and examined for prostate defects at 4 months of age. Immunohistochemical staining of murine prostate sections was used to determine the impact of Crebrf knockout on proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation and blood vessel density in the prostate. Serum adipokine levels were measured using a Luminex Multiplex Assay., Results: CREBRF alterations were identified in up to 4.05% of prostate tumors and the mutations identified were categorized as likely damaging. Median survival of prostate cancer patients with genetic alterations in CREBRF was 41.23 months, compared to 131 months for patients without these changes. In the murine model, the prostates of Crebrf knockout mice had reduced epithelial proliferation and increased TUNEL + apoptotic cells. Circulating adipokines PAI-1 and MCP-1 were also altered in Crebrf knockout mice compared to age-matched controls., Conclusions: Prostate cancer patients with genetic alterations in CREBRF had a significantly decreased overall survival suggesting that wild type CREBRF may play a role in limiting prostate tumorigenesis and progression. The murine knockout model demonstrated that CREBRF could modulate proliferation and apoptosis and macrophage density in the prostate. Serum levels of adipokines PAI-1 and MCP-1 were also altered and may contribute to the phenotypic changes observed in the prostates of Crebrf knockout mice. Future studies focused on populations susceptible to CREBRF mutations and mechanistic studies will be required to fully elucidate the potential role of CREBRF in prostate tumorigenesis., Competing Interests: None., (AJCEU Copyright © 2023.)

Background: Prostatic inflammation is closely linked to the development and progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Clinical studies of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), targeting prostate inflammation patients with symptomatic BPH have demonstrated conflicting results, with some studies demonstrating symptom improvement and others showing no impact. Thus, understanding the role of the cyclooxygenases in BPH and prostatic inflammation is important., Methods: The expression of COX-1 was analyzed in a cohort of donors and BPH patients by immunohistochemistry and compared to previously determined characteristics for this same cohort. The impact of mitochondrial dysfunction on COX-1 and COX-2 was determined in experiments treating human benign prostate epithelial cell lines BPH-1 and RWPE-1 with rotenone and MitoQ. RWPE-1 cells were transfected with small interfering RNA specific to complex 1 gene NDUFS3., Results: COX-1 expression was increased in the epithelial cells of BPH specimens compared to young healthy organ donor and normal prostate adjacent to BPH and frequently co-occurred with COX-2 alteration in BPH patients. COX-1 immunostaining was associated with the presence of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells, but was not associated with age, prostate size, COX-2 or the presence of CD4+, CD20+ or CD68+ inflammatory cells. In cell line studies, COX protein levels were elevated following treatment with inhibitors of mitochondrial function. MitoQ significantly decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in RWPE-1 cells. Knockdown of NDUFS3 stimulated COX-1 expression., Conclusion: Our findings suggest COX-1 is elevated in BPH epithelial cells and is associated with increased presence of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells. COX-1 can be induced in benign prostate epithelial cells in response to mitochondrial complex I inhibition, and knockdown of the complex 1 protein NDUFS3. COX-1 and mitochondrial dysfunction may play more of a role than previously recognized in the development of age-related benign prostatic disease., Competing Interests: None., (AJCEU Copyright © 2022.)

Decreased E-cadherin immunostaining is frequently observed in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and was recently correlated with increased inflammation in aging prostate. Homozygous E-cadherin deletion in the murine prostate results in prostate inflammation and bladder overactivity at 6 months of age. However, this model is limited in that while E-cadherin is significantly reduced in BPH, it is not completely lost; BPH is also strongly associated with advanced age and is infrequent in young men. Here, we examined the functional consequences of aging in male mice with prostate luminal epithelial cell-specific E-cadherin heterozygosity. In control mice, aging alone resulted in an increase in prostate inflammation and changes in bladder voiding function indicative of bladder underactivity. At 24 months of age, mice with prostate-specific Cre-mediated heterozygous deletion of E-cadherin induced at 7 weeks of age developed additional prostatic defects, particularly increased macrophage inflammation and stromal proliferation, and bladder overactivity compared to age-matched control mice, which are similar to BPH/LUTS in that the phenotype is slow-progressing and age-dependent. These findings suggest that decreased E-cadherin may promote macrophage inflammation and fibrosis in the prostate and subsequent bladder overactivity in aging men, promoting the development and progression of BPH/LUTS.

Synthetic glucocorticoids (sGCs) such as dexamethasone (DEX), while used to mitigate inflammation and disease progression in premature infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), are also associated with significant adverse neurologic effects such as reductions in myelination and abnormalities in neuroanatomical development. Ciclesonide (CIC) is a sGC prodrug approved for asthma treatment that exhibits limited systemic side effects. Carboxylesterases enriched in the lower airways convert CIC to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist des-CIC. We therefore examined whether CIC would likewise activate GR in neonatal lung but have limited adverse extra-pulmonary effects, particularly in the developing brain. Neonatal rats were administered subcutaneous injections of CIC, DEX or vehicle from postnatal days 1-5 (PND1-PND5). Systemic effects linked to DEX exposure, including reduced body and brain weight, were not observed in CIC treated neonates. Furthermore, CIC did not trigger the long-lasting reduction in myelin basic protein expression in the cerebral cortex nor cerebellar size caused by neonatal DEX exposure. Conversely, DEX and CIC were both effective at inducing the expression of select GR target genes in neonatal lung, including those implicated in lung-protective and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, CIC is a promising, novel candidate drug to treat or prevent BPD in neonates given its activation of GR in neonatal lung and limited adverse neurodevelopmental effects. Furthermore, since sGCs such as DEX administered to pregnant women in pre-term labor can adversely affect fetal brain development, the neurological-sparing properties of CIC, make it an attractive alternative for DEX to treat pregnant women severely ill with respiratory illness, such as with asthma exacerbations or COVID-19 infections., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Medical schools increasingly require students to complete scholarly projects. Scholarly project programs that are required and longitudinal require considerable resources to implement. It is necessary to understand medical students' perspectives on the impact of such programs. Students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine participate in a required, longitudinal research program (LRP) throughout all years of medical school training. Authors studied students' perceptions of this program., Methods: Fourth-year medical students submit a written report in which they reflect on their experience with the LRP. Qualitative analysis of students' written reflections was performed on 120 reports submitted 2012-2017. Content analysis was performed using an inductive approach in which investigators coded information and searched for emerging themes., Results: Four themes were identified. First, students described engaging in many steps of the research process, with many participating in projects from conception to completion. Second, students reported the LRP provided opportunities for leadership and independence, and many found this to be meaningful. Third, students developed appreciation for the difficulty of the research process through challenges encountered and practiced problem solving. Fourth, students acquired skills useful across multiple career paths, including critical appraisal of scientific literature, teamwork, and communication., Discussion: Through participation in a required, longitudinal research program, medical students reported gaining valuable skills in leadership, problem solving, critical thinking, and communication. Students found that the longitudinal nature of the program enabled meaningful research experiences. These educational impacts may be worth the effort of implementing and maintaining longitudinal research experiences for medical students., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01319-6., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests., (© International Association of Medical Science Educators 2021.)

Introduction and Objective: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related disease that is frequently associated with chronic prostatic inflammation. In previous studies, we detected the presence of PSA protein in the stroma of BPH nodules and down-regulation of junction proteins E-cadherin and claudin-1. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging showed a decrease in tight junctions suggesting the luminal epithelial barrier in BPH tissues may be compromised. Recent in vitro studies showed that stimulation of benign prostate epithelial cell lines with TGF-β1 induced a decrease in claudin-1 expression suggesting that inflammation might be associated with alterations in the prostate epithelial barrier. This study explored the potential associations between aging and loss of junction proteins and the presence of inflammatory cells in prostate tissue specimens from young healthy donors and aged BPH patients., Methods: Immunostaining of serial prostate sections from 13 BPH patients and five healthy young donors was performed for claudin-1, CD4, CD8, CD20 and CD68. H-Scores and the number of inflammatory cells were calculated for the same area in donor, normal adjacent prostate (NAP) to and BPH specimens. Quantification and statistical correlation analyses were performed., Results: Claudin-1 immunostaining was inversely associated with increasing age, and inflammation in prostate specimens. B-cell infiltration increased with age and BPH was associated with an increased infiltration of T-cells and macrophages compared to NAP., Conclusions: These findings suggest that aging is associated with down-regulation of claudin-1 and claudin-1 is further decreased in BPH. Claudin-1 down-regulation was associated with increased infiltration of inflammatory cells in both NAP and BPH tissues. Claudin-1 down-regulation in the aging prostate could contribute to increased prostatic inflammation, subsequently contributing to BPH pathogenesis., Competing Interests: None., (AJCEU Copyright © 2021.)

Introduction and Objective: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a prostatic disease that is significantly associated with aging. However, it is not well understood how aging contributes to BPH pathogenesis. Several factors associated with an increased risk of BPH are also associated with increasing age, including chronic inflammation and declining epithelial barrier function. Thus, this study explored the potential associations between aging, loss of adherens junction protein E-cadherin and the presence of inflammatory mediators in prostate tissue specimens from healthy young donor and BPH patients., Methods: Serial prostate sections from a cohort of five donors aged 15-26 years and 13 BPH patients aged 50-77 years were immunostained with E-cadherin, COX-2, CD4, CD8, CD20 and CD68. E-cadherin and COX-2 H-Scores and the number of inflammatory cells were calculated for the same area in donor, normal adjacent prostate to BPH (NAP) and BPH specimens. Quantification and statistical correlation analyses were performed for comparisons between groups., Results: E-cadherin was decreased in aged NAP tissues and in BPH compared to young donor tissue. E-cadherin was inversely correlated with age and infiltration of inflammatory cells in NAP compared to young healthy donor prostate. Stromal COX-2 was positively correlated with age and inflammation. E-cadherin was further down-regulated in BPH, while COX-2 H-Scores were not significantly altered in BPH compared to NAP., Conclusions: These findings suggest that aging is associated with down-regulation of E-cadherin and up-regulation of stromal COX-2 immunostaining in the prostate. E-cadherin immunostaining was inversely associated with age and inflammation, while stromal COX-2 immunostaining was positively associated with age and inflammation in the prostate. These findings suggest that the prostate epithelial barrier is altered and inflammation is increased with age in the prostate. These changes are further exacerbated in BPH, and may be involved in BPH pathogenesis., Competing Interests: None., (AJCEU Copyright © 2021.)

Inactivation of Pten gene through deletions and mutations leading to excessive pro-growth signaling pathway activations frequently occurs in cancers. Here, we report a Pten derived pro-cancer growth gene fusion Pten-NOLC1 originated from a chr10 genome rearrangement and identified through a transcriptome sequencing analysis of human cancers. Pten-NOLC1 fusion is present in primary human cancer samples and cancer cell lines from different organs. The product of Pten-NOLC1 is a nuclear protein that interacts and activates promoters of EGFR, c-MET, and their signaling molecules. Pten-NOLC1 promotes cancer proliferation, growth, invasion, and metastasis, and reduces the survival of animals xenografted with Pten-NOLC1-expressing cancer cells. Genomic disruption of Pten-NOLC1 induces cancer cell death, while genomic integration of this fusion gene into the liver coupled with somatic Pten deletion produces spontaneous liver cancers in mice. Our studies indicate that Pten-NOLC1 gene fusion is a driver for human cancers.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related debilitating prostatic disease that is frequently associated with prostatic inflammation and bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Animal models have shown that formalin- and bacterial-induced prostatic inflammation can induce bladder dysfunction; however, the underlying mechanisms contributing to prostatic inflammation in BPH and bladder dysfunction are not clear. We previously reported that E-cadherin expression in BPH is downregulated in hyperplastic nodules compared with expression in adjacent normal tissues. Here, we explored the potential consequences of prostatic E-cadherin downregulation on the prostate and bladder in vivo using an inducible murine model of prostate luminal epithelial-specific deletion of Cdh1. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-CreERT2 transgenic mouse strain expressing tamoxifen-inducible CreERT2 recombinase driven by a 6-kb human PSA promoter/enhancer was crossed with the B6.129-Cdh1tm2Kem/J mouse to generate bigenic PSA-CreERT2/Cdh1-/- mice. Deletion of E-cadherin was induced by transient administration of tamoxifen when mice reached sexual maturity (7 weeks of age). At 21 to 23 weeks of age, the prostate, bladder, and prostatic urethra were examined histologically, and bladder function was assessed using void spot assays and cystometry. Mice with Cdh1 deletion had increased prostatic inflammation, prostatic epithelial hyperplasia, and stromal changes at 21 to 23 weeks of age, as well as changes in bladder voiding function compared with age-matched controls. Thus, loss of E-cadherin in the murine prostate could result in prostatic defects that are characteristic of BPH and LUTS, suggesting that E-cadherin downregulation could be a driving force in human BPH development and progression., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Dutasteride administration reportedly improves lower urinary tract symptoms in patient with chronic, histologically-identified prostatic inflammation, potentially through estrogen receptor β (ERβ), activation of which has anti-inflammatory effects in the prostate tissue. Therefore, we investigated the effect of dutasteride on intraprostatic inflammatory responses and bladder activity using a rat model of chemically induced prostatic inflammation., Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats at 10 weeks old were used. Prostatic inflammation was induced by 5% formalin injection into ventral lobes of the prostate and saline was injected in the control group (control, n = 5). Rats with prostatic inflammation were divided into dutasteride therapy (dutasteride, n = 5) and placebo groups (placebo, n = 5). Dutasteride was administrated at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg daily from 2 days before induction of prostatic inflammation whereas placebo rats received vehicle only. Twenty-eight days later, cystometry was performed in a conscious condition to measure non-voiding contractions (NVCs), intercontraction intervals (ICI) and postvoid residual volume (RV). After cystometry, the prostate was excised for analysis of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of ERα, ERβ, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-18 by quantitative polymerase chain reaction., Results: The mean number of NVCs was significantly greater in placebo group than that of control group without prostatic inflammation (p < .05), and ICI were significantly decreased in placebo group compared with control group (p < .05). On the contrary, there was no significant change in NVCs or ICI between control and dutasteride groups. RV was not significantly different among three groups. Gene expression levels of ERα, IL-1β, and IL-18 was significantly increased in placebo rats compared with control rats (p < .05), but not significantly different between control and dutasteride rats. On the other hand, the mRNA expression level of ERβ was significantly decreased in placebo rats (p < .05), but not in dutasteride rats, compared with control rats., Conclusion: Dutasteride treatment improved not only prostatic inflammation evident as increased gene expression levels in IL-1β and IL-18, but also bladder overactivity shown by increased NVCs during bladder filling. These therapeutic effects were associated with the restored expression of anti-inflammatory ERβ. Therefore, dutasteride might be effective via ERβ modulation for the treatment of prostatic inflammation in addition to its previously known, anti-androgenic effects on benign prostatic hyperplasia., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Glucocorticoid signaling controls many key biological functions ranging from stress responses to affective states. The putative transcriptional coregulator CREB3 regulatory factor (CREBRF) reduces glucocorticoid receptor levels in vitro, suggesting that CREBRF may impact behavioral and physiological outputs. In the present study, we examined adult male and female mice with global loss of CREBRF (CrebrfKO) for anxiety-like behaviors and circulating glucocorticoids in response to various acute stress conditions. Results demonstrate that both male and female CrebrfKO mice have preserved locomotor activity but reduced anxiety-like behaviors during the light-dark box and elevated plus maze. These behavioral phenotypes were associated with lower plasma corticosterone after restraint stress. Further studies using unhandled female mice also demonstrated a loss of the diurnal circulating corticosterone rhythm in CrebrfKO mice. These results suggest that CREBRF impacts anxiety-like behavior and circulating glucocorticoids in response to acute stressors and serves as a basis for future mechanistic studies to define the impact of CREBRF in glucocorticoid-associated behavioral and physiological responses., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is arguably the most common disease in aging men. Although the etiology is not well understood, chronic prostatic inflammation is thought to play an important role in BPH initiation and progression. Our recent studies suggest that the prostatic epithelial barrier is compromised in glandular BPH tissues. The proinflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) impacts tight junction formation, enhances epithelial barrier permeability, and suppresses claudin-1 messenger RNA expression in prostatic epithelial cells. However, the role of claudin-1 in the prostatic epithelial barrier and its regulation by TGF-β1 in prostatic epithelial cells are not clear., Methods: The expression of claudin-1 was analyzed in 22 clinical BPH specimens by immunohistochemistry. Human benign prostate epithelial cell lines BPH-1 and BHPrE1 were treated with TGF-β1 and transfected with small interfering RNAs specific to claudin-1. Epithelial monolayer permeability changes in the treated cells were measured using trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The expression of claudin-1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, snail, slug, and activation of mitogen-activated proteins kinases (MAPKs) and AKT was assessed following TGF-β1 treatment using Western blot analysis., Results: Claudin-1 expression was decreased in glandular BPH tissue compared with adjacent normal prostatic tissue in patient specimens. TGF-β1 treatment or claudin-1 knockdown in prostatic epithelial cell lines increased monolayer permeability. TGF-β1 decreased levels of claudin-1 and increased levels of snail and slug as well as increased phosphorylation of the MAPK extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK-1/2) in both BPH-1 and BHPrE1 cells. Overexpression of snail or slug had no effect on claudin-1 expression. In contrast, PD98059 and U0126, inhibitors of the upstream activator of ERK-1/2 (ie, MEK-1/2) restored claudin-1 expression level as well as the epithelial barrier., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that downregulation of claudin-1 by TGF-β1 acting through the noncanonical MEK-1/2/ERK-1/2 pathway triggers increased prostatic epithelial monolayer permeability in vitro. These findings also suggest that elevated TGF-β1 may contribute to claudin-1 downregulation and compromised epithelial barrier in clinical BPH specimens., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related disease characterized by nonmalignant abnormal growth of the prostate, which is also frequently associated with lower urinary tract symptoms. The prostate with BPH exhibits enhanced growth not only in the epithelium but also in the stroma, and stromal-epithelial interactions are thought to play an important role in BPH pathogenesis. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of stromal-epithelial interactions in the development and progression of BPH is very limited., Methods: Matched pairs of glandular BPH and normal adjacent prostate specimens were obtained from BPH patients undergoing simple prostatectomy for symptomatic BPH. Tissues were divided further into fresh specimens for culture of primary prostatic stromal cells, and specimens were embedded in paraffin for immunohistochemical analyses. Proliferation assays, immunohistochemistry, and immunoblotting were used to characterize the primary prostate stromal cells and tissue sections. Coculture of the primary stromal cells with benign human prostate epithelial cell lines BHPrE1 or BPH-1 was performed in three-dimensional (3D) Matrigel to determine the impact of primary stromal cells derived from BPH on epithelial proliferation. The effect of stromal-conditioned medium (CM) on BHPrE1 and BPH-1 cell growth was tested in 3D Matrigel as well., Results: BPH stromal cells expressed less smooth muscle actin and calponin and increased vimentin, exhibiting a more fibroblast and myofibroblast phenotype compared with normal adjacent stromal cells both in culture and in corresponding paraffin sections. Epithelial spheroids formed in 3D cocultures with primary BPH stromal cells were larger than those formed in coculture with primary normal stromal cells. Furthermore, CM from BPH stromal cells stimulated epithelial cell growth while CM from normal primary stromal cells did not in 3D culture., Conclusions: These findings suggest that the stromal cells in BPH tissues are different from normal adjacent stromal cells and could promote epithelial cell proliferation, potentially contributing to the development and progression of BPH., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Our recent studies identifying the presence of luminal secretory protein PSA in the stroma, decreased E-cadherin expression, and reduced number of tight junction kiss points in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissues suggest that epithelial barrier permeability is increased in BPH. However, the cause of increased epithelial permeability in BPH is unclear. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) has been reported to be up-regulated in clinical BPH specimens and TGF-β1 overexpression induced fibrosis and inflammation in a murine model. TGF-β1 was reported to repress the expression of E-cadherin in benign prostatic cells. However, whether and how TGF-β1 up-regulation affects epithelial barrier permeability is unknown. Here, in vitro benign prostatic epithelial cell lines BHPrE1 and BPH-1 were utilized to determine the impact of TGF-β1 treatment on epithelial barrier, tight junctions, and expression of E-cadherin and claudin 1 by transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurement, FITC-dextran trans-well diffusion assays, qPCR, as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. Laser capture micro-dissection (LCM) combined with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were utilized to determine the expression of E-cadherin and claudin 1 in BPH patient specimens. TGF-β1 treatment decreased TEER, increased FITC-dextran diffusion, and reduced the mRNA expression of junction protein claudin 1 in cultured cell monolayers. Claudin 1 mRNA but not E-cadherin mRNA was down-regulated in the luminal epithelial cells in BPH nodules compared to normal prostate tissues. Our studies suggest that TGF-β1 could increase the permeability through decreasing the expression of claudin 1 and inhibiting the formation of tight junctions in BHPrE1 and BPH-1 monolayers. These results suggest that TGF-β1 might play an important role in BPH pathogenesis through increasing the permeability of luminal epithelial barrier in the prostate., Competing Interests: Dr. Feng Li and Ke Wang, who performed this study in Pittsburgh, were Visiting Scholars to our institution from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University in China, where Prof. Dalin He (hedl@xjtu.edu.cn) is their supervisor. Therefore, Dr. He was included as a co-author in this article; however, Dr. He has no conflict of interest for this study, and was involved in the final approval process of the manuscript., (AJCEU Copyright © 2020.)

Prenatal neurodevelopment is dependent on precise functioning of multiple signalling pathways in the brain, including those mobilised by glucocorticoids (GC) and endocannabinoids (eCBs). Prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse, including opioids, alcohol, cocaine and cannabis, has been shown to not only impact GC signalling, but also alter functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Such exposures can have long-lasting neurobehavioural consequences, including alterations in the stress response in the offspring. Furthermore, cannabis contains cannabinoids that signal via the eCB pathway, which is linked to some components of GC signalling in the adult brain. Given that GCs are frequently used in pregnancy to prevent complications of prematurity, and also that rates of cannabis use in pregnancy are increasing, the likelihood of foetal co-exposure to these compounds is high and may have additional implications for long-term neurodevelopment. Here, we present a discussion of GC signalling and the HPA axis, as well as the effects of prenatal drug exposure on these pathways and the stress response, and we explore the interactions between GC and EC signalling in the developing brain and potential for neurodevelopmental consequences., (© 2019 British Society for Neuroendocrinology.)

Objectives: To evaluate, using a rat model of non-bacterial prostatic inflammation, the prostaglandin production and expression profiles of E-series prostaglandin (EP) receptor subtypes, which are reportedly implicated in the development of overactive bladder, in the bladder mucosa, and to investigate the effect of EP receptor type 4 (EP4) blockade on bladder overactivity after prostatic inflammation., Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Prostatic inflammation was induced by formalin injection (5%; 50 μL per lobe) into the bilateral ventral lobes of the prostate. At 10 days after induction of prostatic inflammation or vehicle injection, bladder tissues from the deeply anaesthetized rats were harvested and separated into mucosal and detrusor layers. Then, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentrations and protein levels of PGE2 receptors (EP1-4) in the bladder mucosa and detrusor were measured by ELISA and Western blotting, respectively. In separate groups of control and formalin-treated rats, awake cystometry was performed to evaluate the changes in bladder activity after prostatic inflammation. In addition, the effect of intravesical administration of a selective EP4 antagonist (ONO-AE3-208; 30 μm) on bladder activity was evaluated in control rats and rats with prostatic inflammation., Results: PGE2 concentration and protein levels of EP4, but not other EP receptor subtypes, in the bladder mucosa and detrusor layers were significantly increased in formalin-injected rats vs vehicle-injected control rats. In cystometry, rats with prostatic inflammation exhibited a significant decrease in intercontraction intervals (ICIs) compared with control rats. Intravesical application of ONO-AE3-208 (30 μm), but not vehicle application, significantly increased ICIs in rats with prostatic inflammation, whereas ONO-AE3-208 at this concentration did not significantly affect any cystometric values in control rats., Conclusions: Because intravesical administration of an EP4 antagonist effectively improved bladder overactivity after prostatic inflammation, EP4 activation, along with increased PGE2 production in the bladder mucosa, seems to be an important contributing factor to bladder overactivity induced by prostatic inflammation. Thus, blockade of EP4 in the bladder could be a therapeutic approach to male lower urinary tract symptoms attributable to benign prostatic hyperplasia with prostatic inflammation., (© 2019 The Authors BJU International © 2019 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: We previously reported the presence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the stromal compartment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Since PSA is expressed exclusively by prostatic luminal epithelial cells, PSA in the BPH stroma suggests increased tissue permeability and the compromise of epithelial barrier integrity. E-cadherin, an important adherens junction component and tight junction regulator, is known to exhibit downregulation in BPH. These observations suggest that the prostate epithelial barrier is disrupted in BPH and E-cadherin downregulation may increase epithelial barrier permeability., Methods: The ultra-structure of cellular junctions in BPH specimens was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and E-cadherin immunostaining analysis was performed on BPH and normal adjacent specimens from BPH patients. In vitro cell line studies using benign prostatic epithelial cell lines were performed to determine the impact of small interfering RNA knockdown of E-cadherin on transepithelial electrical resistance and diffusion of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran in transwell assays., Results: The number of kiss points in tight junctions was reduced in BPH epithelial cells as compared with the normal adjacent prostate. Immunostaining confirmed E-cadherin downregulation and revealed a discontinuous E-cadherin staining pattern in BPH specimens. E-cadherin knockdown increased monolayer permeability and disrupted tight junction formation without affecting cell density., Conclusions: Our results indicate that tight junctions are compromised in BPH and loss of E-cadherin is potentially an important underlying mechanism, suggesting targeting E-cadherin loss could be a potential approach to prevent or treat BPH., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the major causes of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), including storage LUTS such as urinary frequency and urgency. Recently, a growing number of clinical studies indicate that prostatic inflammation could be an important pathophysiological mechanism inducing storage LUTS in patients with BPH. Here we aimed to investigate whether nonbacterial prostatic inflammation in a rat model induced by intraprostatic formalin injection can lead to long-lasting bladder overactivity and changes in bladder afferent neuron excitability., Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n = 12 each): normal control group, 1-week prostatic inflammation group, 4-week inflammation group, and 8-week inflammation group. Prostatic inflammation was induced by formalin (10%; 50 µL per lobe) injection into bilateral ventral lobes of the prostate. Voiding behavior was evaluated in metabolic cages for each group. Ventral lobes of the prostate and the bladder were then removed for hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining to evaluate inflammation levels. Continuous cystometrograms (CMG) were recorded to measure intercontraction intervals (ICI) and voided volume per micturition. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were performed on dissociated bladder afferent neurons labeled by fluorogold injected into the bladder wall, to examine the electrophysiological properties., Results: Results of metabolic cage measurements showed that formalin-treated rats exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) increases in micturition episodes/12 hours and decrease in voided volume per micturition at every time point post injection. Continuous CMG illustrated the significant ( P < 0.05) higher number of nonvoiding contractions per void and shorter ICI in formalin-treated rats compared with control rats. HE staining showed significant prostatic inflammation, which declined gradually, in prostate tissues of formalin-induced rats. In patch clamp recordings, capsaicin-sensitive bladder afferent neurons from rats with prostatic inflammation had significantly ( P < 0.05) lower thresholds for spike activation and a "multiple" firing pattern compared with control rats at every time point post injection., Conclusions: Formalin-induced prostatic inflammation can lead to long-lasting bladder overactivity in association with bladder afferent neuron hyperexcitability. This long-lasting model could be a useful tool for the study of inflammation-related aspects of male LUTS pathophysiology., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Key Points: There is clinical evidence showing that prostatic inflammation contributes to overactive bladder symptoms in male patients; however, little is known about the underlying mechanisms In this study, we investigated the mechanism that prostatic inflammation causes detrusor overactivity by using a rat model of chemically induced prostatic inflammation. We observed a significant number of dorsal root ganglion neurons with dichotomized afferents innervating both prostate and bladder. We also found that prostatic inflammation induces bladder overactivity and urothelial NGF overexpression in the bladder, both dependent on activation of the pelvic nerve, as well as changes in ion channel expression and hyperexcitability of bladder afferent neurons. These results indicate that the prostate-to-bladder cross-sensitization through primary afferent pathways in the pelvic nerve, which contain dichotomized afferents, could be an important mechanism contributing to bladder overactivity and afferent hyperexcitability induced by prostatic inflammation., Abstract: Prostatic inflammation is reportedly an important factor inducing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) including urinary frequency, urgency and incontinence in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, the underlying mechanisms inducing bladder dysfunction after prostatic inflammation are not well clarified. We therefore investigated the effects of prostatic inflammation on bladder activity and afferent function using a rat model of non-bacterial prostatic inflammation. We demonstrated that bladder overactivity, evident as decreased voided volume and shorter intercontraction intervals in cystometry, was observed in rats with prostatic inflammation versus controls. Tissue inflammation, evident as increased myeloperoxidase activity, and IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels inside the prostate, but not in the bladder, following intraprostatic formalin injection induced an increase in NGF expression in the bladder urothelium, which depended on activation of the pelvic nerve. A significant proportion (18-19%) of dorsal root ganglion neurons were double labelled by dye tracers injected into either bladder or prostate. In rats with prostatic inflammation, TRPV1, TRPA1 and P2X2 increased, and Kv1.4, a potassium channel α-subunit that can form A-type potassium (K A ) channels, decreased at mRNA levels in bladder afferent and double-labelled neurons vs. non-labelled neurons, and slow K A current density decreased in association with hyperexcitability of these neurons. Collectively, non-bacterial inflammation localized in the prostate induces bladder overactivity and enhances bladder afferent function. Thus, prostate-to-bladder afferent cross-sensitization through primary afferents in the pelvic nerve, which contain dichotomized afferents, could underlie storage LUTS in symptomatic BPH with prostatic inflammation., (© 2019 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2019 The Physiological Society.)

Fetal exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids reprograms distinct neural circuits in the developing brain, often in a sex-specific manner, via mechanisms that remain poorly understood. To reveal whether such reprogramming is associated with select molecular signatures, we characterized the transcriptome of primary, embryonic mouse cerebral cortical and hypothalamic neural progenitor/stem cells derived from individual male and female embryos exposed to the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone. Gene expression profiling by RNA-Seq identified differential expression of common and unique genes based upon brain region, sex, and/or dexamethasone exposure. These gene expression datasets provide a unique resource that will inform future studies examining the molecular mechanisms responsible for region- and sex-specific reprogramming of the fetal brain brought about by in utero exposure to excess glucocorticoids., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway (CBP), and are used for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The anti-inflammatory effects of statins may also provide therapeutic benefits and have led to their use in clinical trials for preeclampsia, a pregnancy-associated inflammatory condition, despite their current classification as category X (i.e. contraindicated during pregnancy). In the developing neocortex, products of the CBP play essential roles in proliferation and differentiation of neural stem-progenitor cells (NSPCs). To understand how statins could impact the developing brain, we studied effects of pravastatin and simvastatin on primary embryonic NSPC survival, proliferation, global transcription, and cell fate in vitro. We found that statins dose dependently decrease NSPC expansion by promoting cell death and autophagy of NSPCs progressing through the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis demonstrates an increase in expression of CBP genes following pravastatin treatment, through activation of the SREBP2 transcription factor. Co-treatment with farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), a CBP metabolite downstream of HMG-CoA reductase, reduces SREBP2 activation and pravastatin-induced PARP cleavage. Finally, pravastatin and simvastatin differentially alter NSPC cell fate and mRNA expression during differentiation, through a non-CBP dependent pathway.

Glucocorticoids are adrenally produced hormones critically involved in development, general physiology, and control of inflammation. Since their discovery, glucocorticoids have been widely used to treat a variety of inflammatory conditions. However, high doses or prolonged use leads to a number of side effects throughout the body, which preclude their clinical utility. The primary actions of glucocorticoids are mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a transcription factor that regulates many complex signaling pathways. Although GR is nearly ubiquitous throughout the body, glucocorticoids exhibit cell- and tissue-specific effects. For example, glucocorticoids stimulate glucose production in the liver, reduce glucose uptake in the skeletal muscle, and decrease insulin secretion from the pancreatic β-cells. Mouse models represent an important approach to understanding the dynamic functions of GR signaling in normal physiology, disease, and resistance. In the absence of a viable GR null model, gene-targeting techniques utilizing promoter-driven recombination have provided an opportunity to characterize the tissue-specific actions of GR. The aim of the present review is to describe the organ systems in which GR has been conditionally deleted and summarize the functions ascribed to glucocorticoid action in those tissues., (Copyright © 2018 Endocrine Society.)

Antenatal administration of synthetic glucocorticoids (sGC) is the standard of care for women at risk for preterm labor before 34 gestational weeks. Despite their widespread use, the type of sGC used and their dose or the dosing regimens are not standardized in the United States of America or worldwide. Several studies have identified neural deficits and the increased risk for cognitive and psychiatric disease later in life for children administered sGC prenatally. However, the precise molecular and cellular targets of GC action in the developing brain remain largely undefined. In this study, we demonstrate that a single dose of glucocorticoid during mid-gestation in mice leads to enhanced proliferation in select cerebral cortical neural stem/progenitor cell populations. These alterations are mediated by dose-dependent changes in the expression of cell cycle inhibitors and in genes that promote cell cycle re-entry. This leads to changes in neuronal number and density in the cerebral cortex at birth, coupled to long-term alterations in neurite complexity in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in adolescents, and changes in anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in adults.

Background: There is increasing evidence showing that chronic non-bacterial prostatic inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). It has also been reported that estrogen receptor β (ERβ) could have an immunoprotective role in prostatic tissue. Therefore, we investigated the effect of ERβ-activation on not only prostatic inflammation, but also bladder overactive conditions in a rat model with nonbacterial prostatic inflammation., Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks, n = 15) were divided into three groups: sham-saline group (n = 5), formalin-vehicle group (n = 5), and formalin-treatment group (n = 5). The sham-saline group had sham operation and 50 μl normal saline injected into each ventral lobe of the prostate. The formalin-vehicle group had 50 μl 5% formalin injection into bilateral ventral lobes of the prostate. The formalin-treatment group was treated with 3α-Adiol (a selective ERβ agonist precursor) at a dose of 3 mg/kg daily from 2 days before induction of prostatic inflammation, whereas formalin-vehicle rats received vehicle (olive oil). In each group, conscious cystometry was performed on day 28 after intraprostatic formalin injection or sham treatment. After cystometry, the bladder and prostate were harvested for evaluation of mRNA expression and histological analysis., Results: In cystometric investigation, the mean number of non-voiding contractions was significantly greater and voiding intervals were significantly shorter in formalin-vehicle rats than those in sham-saline rats (P < 0.05). In RT-qPCR analysis, mRNA expression of NGF, P2X2, and TRPA1 receptors was significantly increased in the bladder mucosa, and mRNA expression of TNF-α, iNOS and COX2 in the ventral lobes of prostate was significantly increased in formalin-vehicle rats compared with sham-saline rats (P < 0.05). In addition, relative mRNA expression ratio of ERβ to ERα (ERβ/ERα) in the ventral lobes of prostate was significantly decreased in formalin-vehicle rats compared with sham-saline rats (P < 0.05). These changes were ameliorated by 3α-Adiol administration in formalin-treatment rats., Conclusions: These results indicate that ERβ activation by 3α-Adiol administration, which normalized the ERβ/ERα expression ratio in the prostate, can improve not only prostatic inflammation, but also bladder overactivity. Therefore, ERβ agonists might be useful for treating irritative bladder symptoms in patients with symptomatic BPH associated with prostatic inflammation. Prostate 77:803-811, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Glucocorticoids (GCs) regulate distinct physiological processes in the developing fetus, in particular accelerating organ maturation that enables the fetus to survive outside the womb. In preterm birth, the developing fetus does not receive sufficient exposure to endogenous GCs in utero for proper organ development predisposing the neonate to complications including intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Synthetic GCs (sGCs) have proven useful in the prevention of these complications since they are able to promote the rapid maturation of underdeveloped organs present in the fetus. While these drugs have proven to be clinically effective in the prevention of IVH, RDS and NEC, they may also trigger adverse developmental side effects. This review will examine the current clinical use of antenatal sGC therapy in preterm birth, their placental metabolism, and their effects on the developing brain., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Current pharmacotherapies for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an androgen receptor-driven, inflammatory disorder affecting elderly men, include 5α-reductase (5AR) inhibitors (i.e. dutasteride and finasteride) to block the conversion of testosterone to the more potent androgen receptor ligand dihydrotestosterone. Because dihydrotestosterone is the precursor for estrogen receptor β (ERβ) ligands, 5AR inhibitors could potentially limit ERβ activation, which maintains prostate tissue homeostasis. We have uncovered signaling pathways in BPH-derived prostate epithelial cells (BPH-1) that are impacted by 5AR inhibition. The induction of apoptosis and repression of the cell adhesion protein E-cadherin by the 5AR inhibitor dutasteride requires both ERβ and TGFβ. Dutasteride also induces cyclooxygenase type 2 (COX-2), which functions in a negative feedback loop in TGFβ and ERβ signaling pathways as evidenced by the potentiation of apoptosis induced by dutasteride or finasteride upon pharmacological inhibition or shRNA-mediated ablation of COX-2. Concurrently, COX-2 positively impacts ERβ action through its effect on the expression of a number of steroidogenic enzymes in the ERβ ligand metabolic pathway. Therefore, effective combination pharmacotherapies, which have included non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, must take into account biochemical pathways affected by 5AR inhibition and opposing effects of COX-2 on the tissue-protective action of ERβ., (© 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Exposure to excess glucocorticoids during fetal development has long-lasting physiological and behavioral consequences, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. The impact of prenatal glucocorticoids exposure on stress responses in juvenile and adult offspring implicates the developing hypothalamus as a target of adverse prenatal glucocorticoid action. Therefore, primary cultures of hypothalamic neural-progenitor/stem cells (NPSCs) derived from mouse embryos (embryonic day 14.5) were used to identify the glucocorticoid transcriptome in both males and females. NPSCs were treated with vehicle or the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (dex; 100nM) for 4 hours and total RNA analyzed using RNA-Sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that primary hypothalamic NPSC cultures expressed relatively high levels of a number of genes regulating stem cell proliferation and hypothalamic progenitor function. Interesting, although these cells express glucocorticoid receptors (GRs), only low levels of sex-steroid receptors are expressed, which suggested that sex-specific differentially regulated genes identified are mediated by genetic and not hormonal influences. We also identified known or novel GR-target coding and noncoding genes that are either regulated equivalently in male and female NPSCs or differential responsiveness in one sex. Using gene ontology analysis, the top functional network identified was cell proliferation and using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation observed a reduction in proliferation of hypothalamic NPSCs after dexamethasone treatment. Our studies provide the first characterization and description of glucocorticoid-regulated pathways in male and female embryonically derived hypothalamic NPSCs and identified GR-target genes during hypothalamic development. These findings may provide insight into potential mechanisms responsible for the long-term consequences of fetal glucocorticoid exposure in adulthood.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and associated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common clinical problems in urology and affect the majority of men at some time during their lives. The development of BPH/LUTS is associated with an increased ratio of estrogen to androgen levels, and this ratio, when mimicked in a variety of animals, induces BPH and lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). While the precise molecular etiology remains unclear, estrogens have been implicated in the development and maintenance of BPH. Numerous endogenous and exogenous estrogens exist in humans. These estrogens act via multiple estrogen receptors to promote or inhibit prostatic hyperplasia and other BPH-associated processes. The prostate is an estrogen target tissue, and estrogens directly and indirectly affect growth and differentiation of prostate. The precise role of estrogen action directly affecting prostate growth and differentiation in the context of BPH is an understudied area and remains to be elucidated. Estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) have been shown to promote or inhibit prostate proliferation illustrating their potential roles in the development of BPH as therapy. More work will be required to identify estrogen signaling pathways associated with LUTD in order to develop more efficacious drugs for BPH treatment and prevention.

Androgen receptor (AR) signaling in stromal cells is important in prostate cancer, yet the mechanisms underpinning stromal AR contribution to disease development and progression remain unclear. Using patient-matched benign and malignant prostate samples, we show a significant association between low AR levels in cancer associated stroma and increased prostate cancer-related death at one, three and five years post-diganosis, and in tissue recombination models with primary prostate cancer cells that low stromal AR decreases castration-induced apoptosis. AR-regulation was found to be different in primary human fibroblasts isolated from adjacent to cancerous and non-cancerous prostate epithelia, and to represent altered activation of myofibroblast pathways involved in cell cycle, adhesion, migration, and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Without AR signaling, the fibroblast-derived ECM loses the capacity to promote attachment of both myofibroblasts and cancer cells, is less able to prevent cell-matrix disruption, and is less likely to impede cancer cell invasion. AR signaling in prostate cancer stroma appears therefore to alter patient outcome by maintaining an ECM microenvironment inhibitory to cancer cell invasion. This paper provides comprehensive insight into AR signaling in the non-epithelial prostate microenvironment, and a resource from which the prognostic and therapeutic implications of stromal AR levels can be further explored.

The highly conserved, multifunctional YB-1 is a powerful breast cancer prognostic indicator. We report on a pervasive role for YB-1 in which it associates with thousands of nonpolyadenylated short RNAs (shyRNAs) that are further processed into small RNAs (smyRNAs). Many of these RNAs have previously been identified as functional noncoding RNAs (http://www.johnlab.org/YB1). We identified a novel, abundant, 3'-modified short RNA antisense to Dicer1 (Shad1) that colocalizes with YB-1 to P-bodies and stress granules. The expression of Shad1 was shown to correlate with that of YB-1 and whose inhibition leads to an increase in cell proliferation. Additionally, Shad1 influences the expression of additional prognostic markers of cancer progression such as DLX2 and IGFBP2. We propose that the examination of these noncoding RNAs could lead to better understanding of prostate cancer progression., (© 2015 Liu et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.)

The life-threatening, emotional, and economic burdens of premature birth have been greatly alleviated by antenatal glucocorticoid (GC) treatment. Antenatal GCs accelerate tissue development reducing respiratory distress syndrome and intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants. However, they can also alter developmental processes in the brain and trigger adverse behavioral and metabolic outcomes later in life. This review summarizes animal model and clinical studies that examined the impact of antenatal GCs on the developing brain. In addition, we describe studies that assess glucocorticoid receptor (GR) action in neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in vivo and in vitro. We highlight recent work from our group on two GR pathways that impact NSPC proliferation, ie, a nongenomic GR pathway that regulates gap junction intercellular communication between coupled NSPCs through site-specific phosphorylation of connexin 43 and a genomic pathway driven by differential promoter recruitment of a specific GR phosphoisoform.

Background: Prostatic inflammation is reportedly associated with the development of prostatic hyperplasia. We investigated the effects of prostatic inflammation on expression levels of androgen-responsive genes and growth factors in the rat prostate., Methods: Prostatic inflammation was induced by Escherichia coli (strain 1677) injection (0.2 ml of 1 × 10(8) CFU/ml) into the prostatic urethra of male Sprague-Dawley rats, and ventral lobes of the prostate were harvested on day 84. Rats were given 10 mg/kg celecoxib during the last month in the COX-2 inhibitor treated group. Histopathology and multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for inflammation-related proteins were performed. Glandular epithelial cells and stromal regions were separately isolated using laser-capture microdissection (LCM). Real-time RT-PCR was performed to examine mRNA levels of androgen-responsive genes in the epithelium and tumor growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) cascade genes in the stroma., Results: Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that mild inflammation was distributed diffusely throughout the prostate. Polymorphonuclear cells infiltrated the slightly edematous stroma, but no morphological changes were observed in the epithelium. Immunohistochemically, expression of androgen receptor and TGF-β1 in addition to IL-6 and cyclooxigenase-2 (COX-2) were enhanced in the E. coli inoculated rats. All of these factors were suppressed in the celecoxib-treated rats. Upregulation of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and RANTES in the E. coli-inoculated rats was normalized by celecoxib treatment. Significant upregulation of androgen receptor and androgen-responsive genes such as Eaf2, ELL2, FKBP5, calreticulin, and ornithine decarboxylase was observed in the LCM-dissected epithelium. Also TGF-β1 and its downstream cascade genes such as Hic-5, collagen 1, and fibronectin were upregulated significantly in the LCM-dissected stroma. The COX-2 inhibitor treatment suppressed upregulation of these genes., Conclusions: Prostatic inflammation changed the expression of androgen-responsive genes in the epithelium and TGF-β1 cascade genes in the stroma. Activation of TGF-β1 cascade genes in the inflamed stroma, as well as altered androgen-responsive gene expression in the epithelium, might be involved in the development of BPH. Prostate 75:381-389, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

While aberrant cell proliferation and differentiation may contribute to epileptogenesis, the mechanisms linking an initial epileptic insult to subsequent changes in cell fate remain elusive. Using both mouse and human iPSC-derived neural progenitor/stem cells (NPSCs), we found that a combined transient muscarinic and mGluR1 stimulation inhibited overall neurogenesis but enhanced NPSC differentiation into immature GABAergic cells. If treated NPSCs were further passaged, they retained a nearly identical phenotype upon differentiation. A similar profusion of immature GABAergic cells was seen in rats with pilocarpine-induced chronic epilepsy. Furthermore, live cell imaging revealed abnormal de-synchrony of Ca(++) transients and altered gap junction intercellular communication following combined muscarinic/glutamatergic stimulation, which was associated with either acute site-specific dephosphorylation of connexin 43 or a long-term enhancement of its degradation. Therefore, epileptogenic stimuli can trigger acute and persistent changes in cell fate by altering distinct mechanisms that function to maintain appropriate intercellular communication between coupled NPSCs., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Unlabelled: Patients with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) eventually develop castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3/calcitriol) is a potential adjuvant therapy that confers antiproliferative and pro-differentiation effects in vitro, but has had mixed results in clinical trials. The impact of the tumor microenvironment on 1,25D3 therapy in patients with CRPC has not been assessed. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), which is associated with the development of tumorigenic "reactive stroma" in prostate cancer, induced vitamin D3 receptor (VDR) expression in the human WPMY-1 prostate stromal cell line. Similarly, TGFβ enhanced 1,25D3-induced upregulation of CYP24A1, which metabolizes 1,25D3 and thereby limits VDR activity. Ablation of Hic-5, a TGFβ-inducible nuclear receptor coregulator, inhibited basal VDR expression, 1,25D3-induced CYP24A1 expression and metabolism of 1,25D3 and TGFβ-enhanced CYP24A1 expression. A Hic-5-responsive sequence was identified upstream (392-451 bp) of the CYP24A1 transcription start site that is occupied by VDR only in the presence of Hic-5. Ectopic expression of Hic-5 sensitized LNCaP prostate tumor cells to growth-inhibitory effects of 1,25D3 independent of CYP24A1. The sensitivity of Hic-5-expressing LNCaP cells to 1,25D3-induced growth inhibition was accentuated in coculture with Hic-5-ablated WPMY-1 cells. Therefore, these findings indicate that the search for mechanisms to sensitize prostate cancer cells to the antiproliferative effects of VDR ligands needs to account for the impact of VDR activity in the tumor microenvironment., Implications: Hic-5 acts as a coregulator with distinct effects on VDR transactivation, in prostate cancer and stromal cells, and may exert diverse effects on adjuvant therapy designed to exploit VDR activity in prostate cancer., (©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.)

While glucocorticoids (GCs) are used clinically to treat many conditions, their neonatal and prenatal usage is increasingly controversial due to reports of delayed adverse outcomes, especially their effects on brain development. Such alterations may reflect the impact of GCs on neural progenitor/stem cell (NPSC) function. We previously demonstrated that the lipid raft protein caveolin-1 (Cav-1) was required for rapid GC signaling in embryonic mouse NPSCs operating through plasma membrane-bound glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). We show here that genomic GR signaling in NPSCs requires Cav-1. Loss of Cav-1 impacts the transcriptional response of many GR target genes (e.g., the serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 gene) that are likely to mediate the antiproliferative effects of GCs. Microarray analysis of wild-type C57 or Cav-1-deficient NPSCs identified approximately 100 genes that are differentially regulated by GC treatment. These changes in hormone responsiveness in Cav-1 knockout NPSCs are associated with the loss of GC-regulated phosphorylation of GR at serine 211 but not at serine 226. Chromatin recruitment of total GR to regulatory regions of target genes such as Fkbp-5, RhoJ, and Sgk-1, as well as p211-GR recruitment to Sgk-1, are compromised in Cav-1 knockout NPSCs. Cav-1 is therefore a multifunctional regulator of GR in NPSCs influencing both rapid and genomic action of the receptor to impact cell proliferation.

Background: Prostatic inflammation is associated with the development of prostatic hyperplasia. We investigated the effects of prostatic inflammation on expression levels of androgen-responsive genes and growth factors in the prostate., Methods: Prostatic inflammation was induced by formalin injection into bilateral ventral lobes of the prostate of male SD rats. After 28 days, the prostate was harvested for analyses of proinflammatory cytokines, androgen-responsive genes in the epithelium, and TGF-β1 cascade genes in the stroma. Some rats were given a COX-2 inhibitor (celecoxib; 10 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage for 28 days., Results: The formalin-injected prostate exhibited widespread low-grade inflammation (<50 leukocytes/10,000 μm(2) ) along with focal high-grade inflammation (>100 leukocytes/10,000 μm(2) ) in limited areas. Compared to control, formalin-injected prostate exhibited a 2.5-fold to sixfold increased protein expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6. In the low-grade inflammatory regions, threefold to ninefold and twofold to threefold upregulations of mRNA levels of androgen receptors/androgen-responsive genes and TGF-β1 cascade genes were respectively, observed in the epithelium and stroma obtained by laser-capture microdissection. Positive staining for androgen receptors in the epithelial nuclei, and TGF-β1, IL-6, and COX-2 in the stroma was increased in the low-grade inflammation area. COX-2 inhibitor treatment suppressed these upregulations of cytokines, androgen-responsive, and TGF-β1 cascade genes., Conclusions: Prostatic inflammation induced increased expression of androgen-responsive genes in the epithelium and TGF-β1 cascade genes in the stroma, which were suppressed by COX-2 inhibitors, suggesting that activation of these genes in the low-grade inflammatory region might be involved in the development of symptomatic BPH., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)