Abstract
Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is an inducible isoform, expressed in inflamed leukocytes and cancer cells. It is known that estrogen causes prostate dysplasia, but little is known about COX-2 expression and its influence on male reproductivity. In this study, we show that COX-2 was abolished in the distal end of the vas deferens in neonatally estrogenized (diethylstilbestrol, NeoDES) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at age of 15 mo, but the control normal rats were found to remain constitutive expression at the same age, while the levels of COX-1 in these rats remained intact. Furthermore, BAX, an indicator of sperm quality, was observed in the endothelium of vas deferens and sperm of the aged rats. However, COX-2 was not detected in the inflamed lesions of NeoDES rat's prostate by immunohistochemistry. In addition to estrogen, hydroxymatairesinol (HMR), a phytoestrogen, was analyzed in vitro for possible regulation on COX-2. Through Western blot analysis, HMR was shown to have no inhibitory affect on COX-2 expression. These results indicated that estrogen treatment strongly influences the expression of COX-2 that is associated with fertility, but no induction of COX-2 by estrogen may not exclude COX-2's role in prostatitis, and the anti-tumor mechanism of HMR largely remains elusive.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Animals, Newborn
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Blotting, Western
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Cell Line
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Cellular Senescence / genetics
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Cyclooxygenase 1 / analysis
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Cyclooxygenase 1 / genetics*
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Cyclooxygenase 2 / analysis
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Cyclooxygenase 2 / genetics*
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Diethylstilbestrol / pharmacokinetics
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Enzyme Induction / drug effects
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Enzyme Induction / physiology
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Estrogens / pharmacology*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / drug effects
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Genitalia, Male / chemistry
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Genitalia, Male / cytology
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Genitalia, Male / drug effects*
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Immunohistochemistry
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Lignans / pharmacology
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Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
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Macrophage Activation / drug effects
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Macrophage Activation / physiology
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Macrophages / chemistry
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Macrophages / drug effects*
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Macrophages / physiology
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Male
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Membrane Proteins / analysis
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Membrane Proteins / genetics*
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Phytoestrogens / pharmacology*
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Prostate / chemistry
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Prostate / cytology
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Prostate / drug effects
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Rats
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Spermatozoa / chemistry
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Spermatozoa / cytology
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Spermatozoa / drug effects
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Vas Deferens / chemistry
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Vas Deferens / cytology
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Vas Deferens / drug effects
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bcl-2-Associated X Protein / analysis
Substances
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Estrogens
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Lignans
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Lipopolysaccharides
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Membrane Proteins
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Phytoestrogens
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bcl-2-Associated X Protein
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hydroxymatairesinol
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Diethylstilbestrol
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Cyclooxygenase 1
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Cyclooxygenase 2
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Ptgs1 protein, rat
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Ptgs2 protein, rat