Comparative characterization of the canine normal prostate in intact and castrated animals

BACKGROUND. Prostate diseases in the dog are generally regarded as representative for their human counterparts. We characterized the normal canine prostate in comparison to the normal human prostate. METHODS. Prostates of dogs were examined histomorphologically and by immunohistochemical detection of the markers CK14, HMWCK, CK5, CK18, CK7, UPIII, PSA, and PSMA. RESULTS. Histomorphologically, the canine prostate lacks the human zonal differentiation, has much more prominent acini, while comprising less stromal tissue. In general, the canine prostate epithelium displayed a highly differentiated character, with no cells expressing CK14, minimal amounts of cells expressing HMWCK/CK5 and the vast majority of cells expressing CK18 and PSA. After castration, the prostate epithelium regressed, and the remaining tubules were largely populated by cells showing a ductal phenotype (HMWCK+/CK5+/CK18+/CK7+). CONCLUSIONS. The human and canine prostate are histologically differently organized. The general scheme of cellular differentiation of the prostate epithelium may however be applicable to both species.