Androgen status and expression of glycoconjugates and lectins in the epithelial cells of the mouse ventral prostate. A glycohistochemical approach.

We investigated histochemically the expression of glycans and endogenous sugar-binding proteins (endolectins) in the ventral prostate of normal and androgen-deprived mice. The avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique was used with a panel of biotinylated lectins and neoglycoproteins, respectively, on paraffin sections. Characteristic binding patterns depending upon the type of lectin were observed in the glandular epithelium and basement membranes. This report also initiates the histochemical study of endogenous glycan-binding proteins in this male-accessory sex organ. Remarkably, the endocrine status was found to affect the distribution of lectin-reactive determinants of glycoconjugates as well as endolectins. The histophysiological significance of these modifications in the glandular cells are discussed in the light of previous biochemical findings obtained mainly in humans and the rat.