Lipid metabolism in prostate. Effect of heavy metals toxicity

ALVAREZ SM

Advances in Lipid Metabolism

Research Singpost

Lugar: Kerala; Año: 2008; p. 159 - 168

The prostate is an accessory gland of the male reproductive system, which significantly contributes to the semen content. It is known that the prostate is an organ mainly regulated by hormones, especially androgens. Regarding lipid metabolism in this organ, it has been shown that androgens regulate many enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of fatty acids and in the cholesterol synthesis pathway. Regarding the cholesterol pathway, it is very important in this organ, given the findings of Arienti et al. (1998), who showed the importance of prostasome composition, where cholesterol would be the main component. On the other hand, it is known that there are differences in the phospholipidic profiles between cell derived from normal human prostate and metastatic cells. There are few reports over the effects of heavy metals intoxication in the lipid metabolism in prostate. Many of them are related to the expression of the androgen receptor mRNA and protein expression, which is usually decreased. It can be suggested that the significant changes in the lipid metabolism under some toxic exposure would be due to an absence of androgens or of its receptor activities. It is clear that different enzymes involved in lipid metabolism are regulated by androgens, for this reason a loss of androgenic control may lead to altered expression profiles of these genes that may contribute to initiation, maintenance, or progression of prostate pathologies.