Franklin Renty B, Milon Beatrice, Feng Pei, Costello Leslie C
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Dental School, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Front Biosci. 2005 Sep 1;10:2230-9. doi: 10.2741/1692.
Zinc is an essential metal for all cells. It plays a role in a wide variety of physiological and biochemical processes. In the prostate epithelial cell the accumulation of high cellular zinc is a specialized function that is necessary for these cells to carry out the major physiological functions of production and secretion of citrate. The production of citrate and its secretion into prostatic fluid is a differentiated function of the prostate epithelial cells that is apparently important for reproduction. The loss of citrate and zinc accumulation is the most consistent and persistent characteristic of prostate malignancy. This characteristic of prostate cancer indicates that the lost ability of the malignant cells to accumulate zinc and citrate is an important factor in the development and progression of malignancy. The lost ability of the epithelial cells to accumulate zinc and thus to also accumulate citrate is the result of decreased expression of specific zinc uptake transporters. The purpose of this presentation is to review the current understanding of zinc and zinc homeostasis in the prostate and the role of zinc and zinc transporters in the normal function of the prostate and the pathogenesis of prostate cancer.
锌是所有细胞必需的金属。它在多种生理和生化过程中发挥作用。在前列腺上皮细胞中，高细胞内锌的积累是一种特殊功能，对于这些细胞进行柠檬酸盐的产生和分泌等主要生理功能是必要的。柠檬酸盐的产生及其分泌到前列腺液中是前列腺上皮细胞的一种分化功能，显然对生殖很重要。柠檬酸盐和锌积累的丧失是前列腺恶性肿瘤最一致和持续的特征。前列腺癌的这一特征表明，恶性细胞积累锌和柠檬酸盐的能力丧失是恶性肿瘤发生和发展的一个重要因素。上皮细胞积累锌并因此积累柠檬酸盐的能力丧失是特定锌摄取转运体表达降低的结果。本报告的目的是综述目前对前列腺中锌和锌稳态的认识，以及锌和锌转运体在前列腺正常功能和前列腺癌发病机制中的作用。
