Variation of M3 muscarinic receptor expression in different prostate tissues and its significance

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of the muscarinic receptor (M receptor) in different prostate tissues and analyze the role of its subtype in prostatic oncogenesis.

METHODS: Thirty-six cases of normal prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia, and 8 cases of prostatic tumor, were used in this study from the Shandong University, Shandong, China, between 2003-2006. The protein expressions of M1, M2, and M3 receptors in each group were determined by Western-blotting. The gene expressions of the M3 receptor and vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) in each group were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS: The protein and gene expressions of the M3 receptor in the prostatic carcinoma group were higher than that of benign prostatic hyperplasia group (p=0.0001) and normal prostate group (p=0.0001). The M3 receptor and VEGF showed positive straight-line correlations of gene expressions with the 3 groups (r=0.4999, p=0.0001).

CONCLUSION: The M3 receptor may have a close relationship with prostatic oncogenesis.