Immunocytochemistry revealed no marked changes in the intensity of p-Smad2/3 staining in LPS-treated BPH-1 cells compared with control cells, with only a few nuclei positive for p-Smad2/3 after TGF-β1 (0.1 ng/ml) treatment (Fig. 2F). This evidence concerns the gene SMAD2 and benign prostatic hyperplasia.