Effects of Pelvic and Hypogastric Nerves Axotomy on Androgen, Adrenergic and Cholinergic Receptors in the Rat Prostate

Abstract

The growth and function of the prostate gland is under hormonal and autonomic control. The pelvic (Pv) and hypogastric (Hg) nerves supply the gland and regulate receptors and other factors underlying its structure, development and pathology. In this work, we evaluated the messenger for androgen receptors (AR), muscarinic acetylcholine (M3), and alpha 1a‐adrenergic receptors (α1A‐AR)at the ventral prostate of the rat after axotomy, also testosterone levels where determined and anatomical and morphological characteristics of the mayor pelvic ganglion in sexually experienced subjects were analyzed. No changes were found in the fresh weight of the ventral lobe after 3, 9 or 15 days post‐ injury, but a reduction of AR mRNA was found after 9 days after axotomy, whereas for adrenergic and cholinergic receptor mRNA was reliable 15 days after surgery. M3 and α1A‐AR mRNA showed a decrease after Pv or Hg axotomy but showed and increase following Pv+Hg axotomy 15 days post‐injury. Testosterone leves increased in sexually experience rats that is prevented by the axotomy. Finally, axotomy produced a decrease in the number of ganglia cells as well as satellite and fibroblasts cells. Results indicate that lesion of the prostate nerves triggers a disease progress of the gland, perhaps in response to a reduction in testosterone levels, along with the alteration of the expresión of adrenergic, cholinergic and androgen receptors. Acknowledgements: CONACYT fellowship No. 289302 y Cuerpo Académico de Neuroquímica UV‐CA‐304