Abstract

We investigated histochemically the expr ession of endogenous sugar-binding proteins (endolectins) in the ventral prostate of normal mice, castrated mice; castrated mice injected with testosterone (T) and castrated mice inject ed with dihydrotestoster one (DHT). The avidin- biotin-peroxidase complex technique was used w ith a panel of biotinyl ated neoglycoproteins, on paraffin sections. Characteristic bi nding patterns depending upon the type of neoglycoprotein were observed in the glandular epithelium a nd basement membranes. This report also initiates the histochemical study of endogenous glycan-binding proteins in this male accessory sex organ. Remarkably, the e ndocrine status was found to affect the distribution of endolectins in the epithelial cells. Indeed, in the cytoplasm and apical region of the epithelial cells, the androgen deprivation acti vates the expression of all endolectins;in the basement membrane, the receptors of hepa rin, melibiose and mannose are activated. The injection of the T to the castrated mice inhi bits the receptors for the N-acetylated and fucosylated sugars in the cytoplasm.The DHT suppresses the endogenous lectins with specificities for xylosides, gluc osides, galactosides and mannosyl in the apical area. In the basal membrane, no suppression of endolectine is observed following injection of the T or DHT.The histophysiological signifi cance of these modifications in the glandular cells is discussed in the light of previ ous biochemical findings obtained ma inly in humans and the rat.