Stereological Estimate of the Length of Microvessels and the Number, Proliferation and Apoptosis of Endothelial Cells in Prostate Cancer

Abnormal angiogenesis is a critical feature of many diseases, including cancers and their precursors. Although the association between prostate carcinogenesis and changes in microvascular architecture is well known, these changes are not well-documented from a quantitative point of view. The present work deals with stereological estimates of the number of quiescent and proliferative endothelial cells, and microvessel length in normal and prostate cancer tissues. Un- biased stereological measurements of numerical densities of proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostained cells, non- proliferating endothelial cells, caspase 3 immunoreactive endothelial cells, and relative length (length density) of mi- crovessels, were performed in control and cancer specimens. There were no changes in either proliferation or apoptosis in carcinoma endothelial cells. A decrease of endothelial cell density, together with an increase of microvessel length den- sity, were detected in prostate cancer specimens. Therefore, the following conclusions can be drawn: a) The increase of angiogenetic activity in prostate carcinogenesis leads to an increment of the microvascular length; b) The amount of endothelial cells per vascular length decreases in prostate cancer; c) There is no decrease of endothelial apoptosis in cancer microvessels. d) The increase of the length den- sity of microvessels in prostate cancer is not directly associated to an enhancement of the endothelial proliferation; and e) The blood supply of epithelium was similar in both cancerous and normal prostate.