Morphologic and biochemical changes in male rat lung after surgical and pharmacological castration

Abstract

The morphology of the rat lung was studied by light microscopy in different situations: after surgical and pharmacological castration and after administration of testosterone to the castrated rat to determine if the androgen is required to maintain the normal morphology of the lung. We also determined the effect of flutamide on the phospholipid composition of both the surfactant and microsomes of the lung. Rats were separated into five groups: I -control non-castrated rats, IIcastrated rats sacrificed 21 days after castration, III -castrated rats that received testosterone daily from day 2 to day 21 after castration, IVcastrated rats that received testosterone from day 15 to day 21 after castration, and V -control rats injected with flutamide for 7 days. The amount of different phospholipids in the surfactant and microsomes of the lung was measured in group I and V rats. At the light microscopy level, the surgical and pharmacological castration provoked alterations in the morphology of the lung, similar to that observed in human lung emphysema. The compositions of surfactant and microsomes of the lung were similar to those previously reported by us for the surgically castrated rats. These results indicate that androgens are necessary for the normal morphology as well as for some metabolic aspects of the lung.

Alterations in rat pulmonary phosphatidylcholines after chronic exposure to ambient fine particulate matter

“…41,42 The pathological mechanism was consistent with the findings of this study regarding both the surfactant PC reduction and morphological observation in that several alveolar cavities fused into one, lowering the alveolar number and enlarging the average size. The shortage of pulmonary surfactants can cause alveolar surface tension to increase and the gasÀliquid interface to become disorganised, resulting in damage to the monolayer, septa breaks, and fusion of alveolar cavities.…”

“…39 The results obtained in this study regarding lyso-PCs were consistent with previous findings on asthma. 41 Among lung cancer patients, decreased PC(16 : 0/0 : 0), PC(0 : 0/16 : 0), PC(18 : 0/0 : 0), and PC(18 : 1/0 : 0) levels were attributed to cell proliferation, a high metabolic state, and abnormal expression of acyl CoA:lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT 1 ), which remodels lyso-PCs. 2).…”

Relationship between androgen deprivation therapy and community‐acquired respiratory infections in patients with prostate cancer

“…proposed that patients receiving GnRH agonists and orchiectomy were at increased risk of infection as a result of androgen deficiency . Possible underlying explanations include castration‐induced morphological/biochemical changes to respiratory cell membranes, changes in the synthesis, secretion and clearance of phospholipids in pulmonary surfactant, as well as alterations in antibiotic susceptibility and microbial growth . We also had expected the effects of GnRH agonists and orchiectomy to be similar.…”

Androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer and the risk of hospitalisation for community-acquired pneumonia

“…Additionally, ADT with antiandrogens could impair the adaptive immune response through interference with T-cell priming 13. Second, it has also been proposed that androgen deprivation may influence the risk of lower respiratory tract infections via morphological and biochemical changes to the cell membranes within the lung 6 7. In addition, androgen deprivation has been shown to cause changes to the synthesis and secretion of phospholipids in pulmonary surfactant 6 7…”

“…Furthermore, in mice, androgen depletion impaired the adaptive immune response, rendering mice more susceptible to microbial infection 12 13. It was also shown that androgen deprivation may influence the risk of lower respiratory tract infections via morphological and biochemical changes to cell membranes within the lung 6 7…”