Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase expression during apoptosis and proliferation of rat ventral prostate

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a multifunctional enzym e known to play a critical role in neuronal apoptosis. We undertook the cur rent studies to determine whether GAPDH also plays a role in prostate epith elial cell apoptosis in response to androgen deprivation. To do so, we anal yzed GAPDH staining by immunohistochemistry during castration-induced invol ution and androgen-induced regeneration of rat ventral prostate. We found t hat GAPDH was undetectable in secretory epithelial cells at baseline and th at staining did not increase in the epithelium during the period of peak ap optosis from 1 to 3 days after castration. However, GAPDH levels did increa se within nuclei of some basal epithelial cells 5 days after castration and within the cytoplasm of all secretory epithelial cells 7 days after castra tion. GAPDH was also abundant within the cytoplasm of secretory epithelial cells during the period of maximal cell proliferation from 2 to 3 days afte r androgen replacement and was clearly apparent within nuclei of some epith elial cells 4 days after androgen replacement. Our studies suggest that GAP DH plays multiple roles during prostate epithelial cell apoptosis and proli feration.