Apoptosis in Ventral Lobe of Rat Prostate after Castration: Morhometric Measurement to Epithelial Cell Area

Lee, Gil Ho; Sohng, In Ho; Woo, Do Shik; Kim, Hyung Jee

Abstract

PURPOSE
While apoptosis of the rat prostate cells has been the focus of many studies on androgen action and prostatic carcinogenesis, little is known for morphometric measurement about rat prostatic glands. Apoptosis was described as a morphologically distinct form of cell death. However, the approach of morphological assessment in one cell to define apoptosis has some disadvantages. We studied androgen ablation induced reduction of glandular epithelial cells with counting apoptotic cells and measuring glandular cell mass with image analyzer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The morphologic changes were evaluated at 4, 7, 14 days after castration. The ventral lobe was microdissected. The distal part of it was harvested under guide of dissecting microscope. The number of apoptotic cells were quantified in Masson & trichrome stained specimens. Using image analyzer, area densities in glandular lesion of prostatic epithelium were calculated.
RESULTS
After castration. the distal duct may seem to be melted down into the proximal ducts and tall columnar epithelial cells of distal duct seem to be changed into cubodial cells. The apoptotic counts were 1.00+/-0.28, 5.06+/-0.98, 6.01+/-0.97, and 2.04+/-0.70 in control, 4th, 7th and 14th day group, respectively (p<0.05), The areas of epithelial cell mass were 13874+/-3106 micrometer2. 5530+/-3244 micrometer2, 2345+/-1226micrometer2, and 1339+/-652 micrometer2. in control, 4th. 7th and 14th day group, respectively(p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that castration induces a more profound involution of the rat ventral prostate. After castration, the apoptotic count and reduction of the area of epithelial cell mass rapidly processed by 7th day and after that time, this process is continuously but slowly decreased until 14th day after castration. The apoptotic counts among the epithelial cells are well matched with the morphometric measurements about epithelial glands.