Prostate--an extrapituitary source of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): occurrence, localization, and de novo biosynthesis and its hormonal modulation in primates and rodents.

A comparative study on the immunocytochemical localization, de novo biosynthesis, and hormonal modulation of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was carried out in the prostates of man, monkey, dog, guinea pig, hamster, rat, and mouse. FSH was localized in the cytoplasm of the prostatic epithelial cells. In some specimens, staining was also observed in the nucleus. Both pituitary as well as prostatic FSH were coeluted on a Sephadex G-100 column and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicating physicochemical similarities of FSH in both the tissues. Surprisingly, the modulation of pituitary and prostatic FSH by inhibin and its related peptides were comparable. The intensity and grandularity of FSH staining was stronger in the case of benign prostatic hyperplasia as compared with normal prostatic specimens. In view of the well-known effects of FSH on the cellular growth, differentiation, and function of gonadal tissues, a similar role for FSH in pathophysiology of prostate is postulated.