Sinha A A, Gleason D F, Limas C, Reddy P K, Wick M R, Hagen K A, Wilson M J
Veterans Administration Medical Center Research Service, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417.
Anat Rec. 1989 Mar;223(3):266-75. doi: 10.1002/ar.1092230305.
Cathepsin B, a lysosomal cysteine protease, was localized in normal prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) using immunoperoxidase and protein A-gold techniques. Our objective was to determine whether cathepsin B was involved in the prostatic epithelium affected by nodular hyperplasia. All samples were collected immediately after prostatectomy. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the enzyme was expressed in the supranuclear cytoplasm of columnar cells and in numerous basal cells of normal and BPH acini. The strongest localization of cathepsin B occurred in acinar basal cells; hence, it is possible that cathepsin B could be useful as a marker for such cellular elements. Stromal macrophages showed reaction products, but lymphocytes and neutrophils did not. In both normal and hyperplastic glands, the enzyme was localized by gold particles in lysosomes, secretory granules, and vacuoles of columnar epithelial acinar cells. Immunoelectron microscopic study also showed the presence of cathepsin B in the heterochromatin (condensed chromatin) and nuclear membranes of columnar and basal cells, but not in euchromatin or nucleoli. At present, the function of cathepsin B in the nuclei of basal and columnar cells remains unknown. However, the cathepsin B in the cytoplasmic compartment might be associated with the lysosomal function of the cells. The role of cathepsin B as a marker for basal cell participation in the development of prostatic lesions should be studied further.
组织蛋白酶B是一种溶酶体半胱氨酸蛋白酶，采用免疫过氧化物酶和蛋白A-金技术对其在正常前列腺和良性前列腺增生（BPH）中的定位进行了研究。我们的目的是确定组织蛋白酶B是否参与了受结节性增生影响的前列腺上皮细胞的病变过程。所有样本均在前列腺切除术后立即采集。免疫组织化学研究表明，该酶在柱状细胞的核上细胞质以及正常和BPH腺泡的众多基底细胞中均有表达。组织蛋白酶B的最强定位出现在腺泡基底细胞中；因此，组织蛋白酶B有可能作为此类细胞成分的标志物。基质巨噬细胞显示有反应产物，但淋巴细胞和中性粒细胞没有。在正常和增生性腺管中，该酶通过金颗粒定位于柱状上皮腺泡细胞的溶酶体、分泌颗粒和液泡中。免疫电子显微镜研究还显示，在柱状细胞和基底细胞的异染色质（浓缩染色质）和核膜中存在组织蛋白酶B，但在常染色质或核仁中不存在。目前，组织蛋白酶B在基底细胞和柱状细胞核中的功能尚不清楚。然而，细胞质区室中的组织蛋白酶B可能与细胞的溶酶体功能有关。组织蛋白酶B作为基底细胞参与前列腺病变发展的标志物的作用应进一步研究。
