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Testosterone regulates keratin 33B expression in rat penis growth through androgen receptor signaling.

ABSTRACT: Androgen therapy is the mainstay of treatment for the hypogonadotropic hypogonadal micropenis because it obviously enhances penis growth in prepubescent microphallic patients. However, the molecular mechanisms of androgen treatment leading to penis growth are still largely unknown. To clarify this well-known phenomenon, we successfully generated a castrated male Sprague Dawley rat model at puberty followed by testosterone administration. Interestingly, compared with the control group, testosterone treatment stimulated a dose-dependent increase of penis weight, length, and width in castrated rats accompanied with a dramatic recovery of the pathological changes of the penis. Mechanistically, testosterone administration substantially increased the expression of androgen receptor (AR) protein. Increased AR protein in the penis could subsequently initiate transcription of its target genes, including keratin 33B (Krt33b). Importantly, we demonstrated that KRT33B is generally expressed in the rat penis and that most KRT33B expression is cytoplasmic. Furthermore, AR could directly modulate its expression by binding to a putative androgen response element sequence of the Krt33b promoter. Overall, this study reveals a novel mechanism facilitating penis growth after testosterone treatment in precastrated prepubescent animals, in which androgen enhances the expression of AR protein as well as its target genes, such as Krt33b.

SUBMITTER: Ma YM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4236322 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Testosterone regulates keratin 33B expression in rat penis growth through androgen receptor signaling.

Ma Yan-Min YM Wu Kai-Jie KJ Dang Qiang Q Shi Qi Q Shi Qi Q Gao Yang Y Guo Peng P Xu Shan S Wang Xin-Yang XY He Da-Lin DL Gong Yong-Guang YG

Asian journal of andrology 20141101 6

Androgen therapy is the mainstay of treatment for the hypogonadotropic hypogonadal micropenis because it obviously enhances penis growth in prepubescent microphallic patients. However, the molecular mechanisms of androgen treatment leading to penis growth are still largely unknown. To clarify this well-known phenomenon, we successfully generated a castrated male Sprague Dawley rat model at puberty followed by testosterone administration. Interestingly, compared with the control group, testostero ...[more]

PMID: 24994782

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Project description:Myeloid cells are critical cells involved in the orchestration of innate and adaptive immune responses. Most myeloid cells derive from the adult bone marrow in a process called myelopoiesis, a tightly controlled process that ensures constant production of myeloid cells. Sex differences in myeloid cell development have been observed; males exhibit greater monocytic differentiation in the bone marrow, and men have increased blood monocyte numbers when compared to women. Here we use a genetic mouse model of myeloid androgen receptor (AR) knockout (MARKO) and pharmacological inhibition of AR to investigate the role of androgen signaling in monocytic differentiation. We observe that although myeloid AR signaling does not influence total bone marrow cell numbers, it does affect the composition of the bone marrow myeloid population in both homeostatic and emergency settings. Genetic deletion of AR in myeloid cells led to reduced monocytic development in vivo. Similarly, pharmacologic inhibition of AR signaling in vitro reduced monocytic development. However, alteration in monocytic differentiation in the absence of AR signaling did not lead to reduced numbers of circulating myeloid cells, although MARKO male mice display reduced ratio of classical to non-classical monocytes in the blood, implying that blood monocyte subsets are skewed upon myeloid AR deletion. Our results suggest that the sex differences observed in monocytic differentiation are partly attributed to the positive role of the androgen-AR axis in regulating monocytic development directly at the myeloid cell level. Furthermore, we have identified a novel role for AR in regulating blood mature monocyte subset turnover. Investigating how androgen signaling affects monocytic development and monocyte subset heterogeneity will advance our understanding of sex differences in monocytic function at homeostasis and disease and can ultimately impact future therapeutic design targeting monocytes in the clinic.

Dataset Information

Testosterone regulates keratin 33B expression in rat penis growth through androgen receptor signaling.

Publications

Testosterone regulates keratin 33B expression in rat penis growth through androgen receptor signaling.

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