The prostate after castration and hormone replacement in a rat model: structural and ultrastructural analysis

Abstract

Purpose:To evaluate if late hormonal replacement is able to recover the prostatic tissue modified by androgenic deprivation.Materials and Methods:24 rats were assigned into a Sham group; an androgen deficient group, submitted to bilateral orchiectomy (Orch); and a group submitted to bilateral orchiectomy followed by testosterone replacement therapy (Orch+T). After 60 days from surgery blood was collected for determination of testosterone levels and the ventral prostate was collected for quantitative and qualitative microscopic analysis. The acinar epithelium height, the number of mast cells per field, and the densities of collagen fibers and acinar lumen were analyzed by stereological methods under light microscopy. The muscle fibers and types of collagen fibers were qualitatively assessed by scanning electron microscopy and polarization microscopy.Results:Hormone depletion (in group Orch) and return to normal levels (in group Orch+T) were effective as verified by serum testosterone analysis. The androgen deprivation promoted several alterations in the prostate: the acinar epithelium height diminished from 16.58±0.47 to 11.48±0.29μm; the number of mast cells per field presented increased from 0.45±0.07 to 2.83±0.25; collagen fibers density increased from 5.83±0.92 to 24.70±1.56%; and acinar lumen density decreased from 36.78±2.14 to 16.47±1.31%. Smooth muscle was also increased in Orch animals, and type I collagen fibers became more predominant in these animals. With the exception of the densities of collagen fibers and acinar lumen, in animals receiving testosterone replacement therapy all parameters became statistically similar to Sham. Collagen fibers density became lower and acinar lumen density became higher in Orch+T animals, when compared to Sham. This is the first study to demonstrate a relation between mast cells and testosterone levels in the prostate. This cells have been implicated in prostatic cancer and benign hyperplasia, although its specific role is not understood.Conclusion:Testosterone deprivation promotes major changes in the prostate of rats. The hormonal replacement therapy was effective in reversing these alterations.

Effects of testosterone replacement on serotonin levels in the prostate and plasma in a murine model of hypogonadism

“…Nonetheless, the reduction observed on the size of the prostate gland after castration, along with the decrease of animal's body weight, indirectly reflects the loss of TES activity of over the prostate gland thus, implicitly validating the model. Androgen deprivation is known to impact specific regions of prostate tissue, namely, the acinar epithelium, the number of mast cells and collagen fibers 24 .…”

The potential protective role of flaxseed extract on ventral prostate in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes: A histological and immunohistochemical study

“…This finding coincided with other studies which reported marked thickening of the extracellular matrix of the prostate gland with increased collagen deposition and hypertrophied smooth muscle cells in diabetic and castrated rats. These stromal changes were attributed to androgen depletion and were explained by being an attempt to preserve the integrity of the glandular epithelium and the secretory process [9,29,30] . In addition, this increase in the stromal elements of diabetic prostate would induce a reactive stromal microenvironment that may lead to proliferation, cell migration and pathological processes.…”

Modulation of inflammatory and hormonal parameters in response to testosterone therapy: Effects on the ventral prostate of adult rats

“…Regarding the mast cells, they have recently been postulated as an important marker for the prognosis of prostate cancer and a possible target for immune therapies (Johansson et al, ; Taverna et al, ). Despite the scarce data evaluating the influence of testosterone on mast cells, Felix‐Patrício et al () showed that castration induced an increase of 528% in mast cell number in rat ventral prostate, which was knocked down after testosterone replacement. Associated with inflammation, oxidative stress in an essential factor for the initiation of prostate cancer (Gupta‐Elera et al, ).…”