Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Nerve growth factors linked to benign prostate growth in dogs
By Khodamoradi, Pouya et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2021·Department of Pathology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Overexpression of GDNF and FGF-1 in Canine Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Evidence for a Pathogenetic Role of Neural Growth Factor.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 33 male mixed-breed dogs were studied for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common condition in older dogs that can cause urinary issues. The researchers found that BPH was most prevalent in dogs aged 3 to 6 years, with 13 dogs confirmed to have the condition through ultrasound and tissue analysis. They discovered that certain growth factors, specifically GDNF and FGF-1, were overexpressed in the prostate tissue of dogs with BPH, which may contribute to the disease's development. Understanding these factors could help in managing BPH in affected dogs.
People also search for: dog prostate problems · benign prostatic hyperplasia in dogs · treatment for dog BPH · signs of prostate issues in male dogs
Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is common in aged dogs, but the pathogenesis has not been clearly elucidated. A total of 33 male Iranian dogs of mixed breed and in three age groups (under 3 years [n = 10]; 3-6 years [n = 15]; over 6 years [n = 8]), were investigated. BPH was confirmed by ultrasonography and histopathology in 13 cases. The highest prevalence of BPH was in the 3-6 years age group (8/15; 53.3%). Examination of sections of prostate that had been stained with Masson's trichrome revealed that the intensity of stromal smooth muscle cell staining (P <0.05) and the number of fibroblasts (P = 0.002) were significantly increased in BPH compared with normal prostate glands. Prostate cells from dogs with BPH (n = 13) had a significantly higher intensity of cytoplasmic immunolabelling with antibodies against glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), cytokeratin (CK) AE1/AE3, vimentin, fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), compared with normal prostate glands (n = 20) (P = 0.001), except for PSA, which was negative in both normal and BPH affected prostates. The overexpression of GDNF and FGF-1 in stromal and epithelial cells of prostate glands of dogs with BPH suggests that GDNF has a paracrine or autocrine role in stimulating cellular proliferation. GDNF overexpression may also play a pathogenetic role in promoting chronic prostatitis and increasing fibrosis and the smooth muscle component of the prostate gland in BPH.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33494907/