Glycoproteins in the urothelium and in the urine of the epidermal growth factor induced growing urinary tract in rats.

Systemic treatment with epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces growth of all wall layers of the urinary tract in pigs and rats. We have previously described that the EGF stimulated urothelium in Goettingen minipigs accumulates glycoproteins. The aim of the present study was to examine and partly characterize glycoproteins in the urothelium and in the urine from rats treated with EGF. Seventy-two female Wistar rats were allocated into five groups receiving EGF treatment (150 microg/kg per day) for 0 (controls), 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks before being killed. Glycoconjugates were characterized by means of lectins on tissue sections, and using Western blotting, in bladder extracts and in urine. The characterization mostly focused on the expression of the mucin-type core structures T and Tn using the lectins peanut agglutinin (PNA) and Vicia villosa (VVA) and specific monoclonal antibodies. The thickened EGF-stimulated urothelium retained the normal differentiation pattern as judged from the appearance on electron microscopy and from the expression of carbohydrate structures. Within the urothelium and in the urine there was increased expression of mucin-type glycoproteins suggesting increased urothelial production and excretion of mucin-type glycoproteins. In conclusion, the EGF stimulated hyperplastic urothelium most probably excretes increased amounts of mucin-type glycoproteins to the urine but it retains the normal pattern of differentiation as assessed by lectin characterization.