Induction of Secreted WNT Factor WISP1/CCN4 by Human Prostate Stromal Cells Under Microenvironmental Hypoxia

The document reports on two studies, with the first showing that androgen can regulate prostate blood flow in castrated male Wistar rats (n=7) through a non-classical signal transduction pathway, as evidenced by increased blood flow following testosterone-BSA injection, which was inhibited by bicalutamide. The second study, a case-control with 30 early-onset androgenetic alopecia (AGA) patients and 30 controls, found that AGA is associated with increased prostate volume and urinary symptoms, but not with testosterone, albumin, or SHBG levels, suggesting a shared androgen-dependent mechanism in AGA and prostate growth. Additionally, the document mentions, but does not fully summarize, a study on WISP1/CCN4 induction by hypoxic prostate stromal cells.