Effect of Estrogen on the Prostatic Gland of Adult Male White Rats

Kim, Young Kyoon; Lee, Hak Song

Abstract

Estrogenic hormone in various doses and durations was administered to adult male white rats to study the hormonal effect on the prostatic gland. In this study 48 rats. weighing approximately 250 gm. were divided into 8 groups of six rats. Group 1: Control for 2 weeks experiment Group 2: Control for 4 weeks experiment Group 3. Administration of estradiol 0.5 mg., 7 doses Group 4: Administration of estradiol 0.5 mg., 14 doses Group 5. Administration of estradiol 0. 25 mg., 7 doses Group 6: Administration of estradiol 0. 25 mg., 14 doses Group 7: Administration of estradiol 0. 125 mg., 7 doses Group 8: Administration of estradiol 0. 125 mg., 14 doses Estradiol was administered every other Day as scheduled. One day after the final injection, the animals were sacrificed. Body weight and weight of the prostatic gland, both the ventral and the dorsal lobes, were obtained. The effect of estradiol in various doses on the prostatic size was observed to be almost the same throughout the experimental groups. But estradiol administered for longer periods has slightly more effect than when administered for shorter periods. The effect of estrogen administered to the rats with intact gonads did not antagonize or neutralize the endogenous testicular androgen, but did suppress the release of pituitary gonadotrophin, resulting in less production of testicular androgen. A large dosage of estrogen does not necessarily cause a marked reduction in the prostatic weight.