Early effects of estrogen on the rat ventral prostate

Complex interactions between androgen and estrogen (E2) regulate prostatic development and physiology. We analyzed the early effects of a high single dose of E2 (25 mg/kg body weight) and castration (separately or combined) on the adult 90-day-old male Wistar rat ventral prostate. Androgen levels, prostate weight, and the variation in the relative and absolute volume of tissue compartments and apoptotic indices were determined for 7 days. Castration and exogenous E2 markedly reduced ventral prostate weight (about 50 percent of the control), with a significant reduction in the epithelial compartment and increased stroma. The final volume of the epithelium was identical at day 7 for all treatments (58.5 percent of the control). However, E2 had an immediate effect, causing a reduction in epithelial volume as early as day 1. An increase in smooth muscle cell volume resulted from the concentration of these cells around the regressing epithelium. The treatments resulted in differential kinetics in epithelial cell apoptosis. Castration led to a peak in apoptosis at day 3, with 5 percent of the epithelial cells presenting signs of apoptosis, whereas E2 caused an immediate increase (observed on day 1) and a sustained (up to day 7) effect. E2 administration to castrated rats significantly increased the level of apoptosis by day 3, reaching 9 percent of the epithelial cells. The divergent kinetics between treatments resulted in the same levels of epithelial regression after 7 days (about 30 percent of control). These results show that E2 has an immediate and possibly direct effect on the prostate, and anticipates epithelial cell death before reducing testosterone to levels as low as those of castrated rats. In addition, E2 and androgen deprivation apparently cause epithelial cell death by distinct and independent pathways.

Desobstrução intra-vesical prostática com ou sem hernioplastia: estudo comparativo / Surgical treatment of prostatic infravesical obstruction with and without inguinal hernioplasty: comparative study

Estudamos quarenta e nove hernioplastias inguinais em pacientes que foram submetidos concomitantemente à cirurgia prostática para o tratamento de obstrução infravesical por via aberta ou endoscópica. Esse grupo foi comparado com pacientes submetidos somente à cirurgia prostática. O seguimento foi de pelo menos seis meses. O tempo de cirurgia foi significativamente maior no grupo da cirurgia combinada. Porém o número de dias de internação no período pós-operatório teve uma mediana de três dias para ambos os grupos. O tratamento da obstrução infra-vesical foi efetivo em todos os casos das cirurgias combinadas e a hernioplastia teve uma recidiva de 10 por cento. Cirurgias combinadas são práticas, bem toleradas e podem ser realizadas com segurança levando à economia de tempo e recursos.Forty-nine inguinal hernioplasty were studied in patients submitted to simultaneous prostatic surgery for the treatment of lower urinary tract obstruction either open or endoscopic. This group was compared to patients submitted only to the prostatic surgery. The minimal follow-up was six months. The operating time was significantly higher in the combination group. The average postoperative hospital stay was 3 days for both groups. The prostatic treatment was effective in all patients for the combined operation and the recurrence rate for the hernia treatment was 10 per cent. The combination procedure is practical and well tolerated saving time and financial resources...

Prepubertal development of rat prostate and seminal vesicle following chemical sympathectomy with guanethidine

1. The internal genital organs of prepubertal, 21-day old male Wistar rats were sympathectomized by ip injection of guanethidine (G), at doses of 5 mg/kg per day (N = 10) or 10 mg/kg per day (N = 10), for 20 days. Controls (N = 10) received saline. 2. Plasma testosterone level (measured by radioimmunoassay) decreased significantly in sympathectomized rats from 4.11 +/- 0.57 to 1.76 +/- 0.37 ng/ml (5 mg/kg G) and to 1.17 +/- 0.26 ng/ml (10 mg/kg G). Plasma levels of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones and of prolactin were unaltered. 3. Chemical denervation caused a significant decrease in ventral prostate wet weight from 74.3 +/- 5.5 to 59.3 +/- 4.7 mg (5 mg/kg G) and to 54.6 +/- 4.1 mg (10 mg/kg G) and in seminal vesicle wet weight from 36.5 +/- 6.8 to 31.7 +/- 5.2 mg (5 mg/kg G) and to 21.3 +/- 1.6 mg (10 mg/kg G). 4. The potential secretory activity of the prostate (measured in terms of fructose content) decreased significantly in guanethidine-treated rats from 0.38 +/- 0.02 to 0.30 +/- 0.02 mg/g (5 mg/kg G) and to 0.20 +/- 0.02 mg/g (10 mg/kg G). The seminal vesicle fructose content (0.33 +/- 0.04 mg/g for controls), however, was not altered by chemical denervation. 5. Our data suggested that sympathetic neurons may be involved in the control of LH receptors, at least in the prepubertal phase of sexual development. They may also be directly related to growth and secretory activity of the male accessory sex glands

Testosterone dependent regulation of growth and DNA synthesis in rat prostate

The prostate of the adult rat is dependent on a continuous supply of androgen to maintain its normal growth and function. In the present study it was found that the weight of the prostate was significantly reduced to 38.2% of the control weight at 7 days after castration, and reached 22.9% of the control weight after 4 weeks of castration. As early as one week after castration, the strong activity of alkaline phosphatases, normally observed, showed an apparent irregular decrease. With more advanced period, the enzyme activity continues to decrease to be apparently weak, two weeks of castration. It was found that the total prostatic DNA was reduced to 34% of the control after two weeks in castrated rats and reached 22.5% of the control after 4 weeks of castration. With commencement of testosterone treatment, the prostatic weight started to be restored, reaching 83.7% of the normal weight after two weeks of treatment. Furthermore, DNA content started to increase with testosterone treatment, reaching 93% of the control after one week and exceeded the control after two weeks. These results suggested that DNA is mostly regulated by testosterone, and hence playing an important role in the regulation of prostatic cellular proliferation