IGF-I has been implicated as a factor that may predispose one to prostate cancer and to benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). We established murine IGF-I transgenic mice under the control of rat probasin promoter and analysed the histology of the murine IGF-I-overexpressing prostate. Immunohistochemically, IGF-I was expressed in prostatic epithelial cells or basement membranes of the ventral, dorsal and lateral lobes in a line of IGF-I transgenic mice, but not in their control littermates. The anterior lobe did not express IGF-I. IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), inhibitory to the mitogenic action of IGF-I, was detected in epithelial cells of prostatic ventral lobes, but not in those of the dorsal, lateral or anterior lobes of IGF-I transgenic mice. In controls, IGFBP-3 was not detected in epithelial cells of any prostatic lobe. Macroscopic prostatic size and the appearance of IGF-I transgenic mice were comparable with those of their control littermates of the same age. With a computed morphometric analysis, epithelial glands and intraglandular lumens in the prostatic lobes except the ventral lobe were smaller at 17 Months of age than at 14 Months both in IGF-I transgenic mice and controls. Glands and intraglandular lumens in the ventral prostatic lobes of IGF-I transgenic mice expressing more IGF-I protein in the prostate than controls were dense and enlarged similar to cysts compared with those of non-transgenic littermates without showing epithelial growth. Glands and lumens in the dorsal and lateral lobes of the IGF-I transgenic mice were also larger than controls at 14 and/or 17 Months of age. Glands in the anterior prostatic lobe of the IGF-I transgenic mice were not morphologically or morphometrically different from those of non-transgenic littermates. In conclusion, IGF-I transgenic mice under the control of rat probasin promoter showed more dense and enlarged epithelial glands in their prostatic ventral, dorsal and lateral lobes.

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