Androgen regulation of carbonic anhydrase II, a major soluble protein in rat lateral prostate tissue

: Härkönen PL, Väänänen HK

: 1988

: Biology of Reproduction

: Biology of reproduction

: Biol Reprod

: 38

: 2

: 377

: 84

: 8

: 0006-3363

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod38.2.377

The distribution of carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes I and II in rat accessory sex glands was studied by use of immunohistochemistry. Carbonic anhydrase I could not be demonstrated in any of the organs studied, whereas carbonic anhydrase II was found exclusively in epithelial cells of the lateral and dorsal prostates as well as in epithelial cells of seminal vesicles and the coagulating gland. In contrast, the ventral prostate contained neither isoenzyme. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-slab electrophoresis and immunoblotting experiments suggested that carbonic anhydrase II is a major soluble protein in the lateral prostate. This was confirmed by radioimmunoassay, which showed that carbonic anhydrase II represents about 15 percent of soluble proteins in the rat lateral prostate. It was further demonstrated that the relative amount of carbonic anhydrase II in the rat lateral prostate and seminal vesicles is under testosterone regulation. It is suggested that carbonic anhydrase II in rat accessory sex glands is involved in bicarbonate production, a function that particularly characterizes the rat lateral prostate.