AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF THE EPITHELIAL CELLS OF THE PROSTATIC GLAND

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE EFFECT OF ANDROGENIC HORMONE

Abstract

The fine structure of the epithelial cells of the ventral lobe of rat prostate has been investigated by means of electron microscope. Normal structure of the cells is as follows: the tall cuboidal epithelium contains well-developed rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, which presents a concentric lamellar arrangement on transverse section, running parallel to the long axis on longitudinal section. Golgi complex mainly consists of vacuoles and vesicles, occasionally intermingling multivesicular bodies. Mitochondria are oval or rod-shaped as seen in cells of other organs. The cell membrane exhibits a “unit membrane structure”. And there are some cells which show “anastomotic intercellular bridge” between each other.
The effect of androgen on the prostatic epithelium has been investigated on adult rats. They were divided into four groups. The rats of Group 1 were injected daily 0.5mg of testosterone propionate intramuscularly for succesive ten days. The daily doses of testosterone propionate for the same periods in Group 2, 3 and 4 were 1.0mg, 2.0mg and 4.0mg, respectively. The higher doses were given, the more marked changes of the cellular organellae are observed. The findings in Group 1 are nearly alike to those of the normal rats, while in Group 2, 3 and 4 the changes of endoplasmic reticulum are evident: distorsion of parallel lamellar arrangement and dilatation of cisternae. Representative changes in Golgi complex are widening of Golgi zone and increase of multivesicular bodies. Mitochondria become also enlarged and arrangement of them presents a close topographical relationship with endoplasmic reticulum.
These findings indicates that administration of testosterone propionate resulted in enhancement of cellular activity of the rat prostatic epithelium