Sex specific expression of progesterone receptor in mouse lower urinary tract

PR was found to be co-expressed with ERα in cell nuclei of urothelium, lamina propria fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells in the female urethra. Only few PR positive cells were seen in female ERKO mice. Ovariectomy reduced and estrogen treatment restored the urethral PR expression in female wild type and BERKO mice. Thus, the expression of PR in the female urethra is estrogen-inducible via ERα. In male urethra, PR was co-expressed with ERβ in the rhabdosphincter. In male, no evidence was obtained for the ER-linked control of the PR expression. No PR-positive cells were observed in the body of the bladder of either sex or any strain.