ANTIANDROGENIC EFFECT OF SPIRONOLACTONE

II. MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE PROSTATE USING POINT VOLUMETRY

Abstract

Spironolactone-induced changes of the prostate gland were studied by conventional light microscopy as well as by electron microscopy in male adult dogs and men with prostatic carcinoma. In order to evaluate those morphological informations quantitatively, volume densities of cell compartments of prostate gland were examined by using morphometrical procedure.
After the administration of spironolactone for 20 days, significant decrease in the volume densities of prostatic acinar parenchyma, rough endoplasmic reticulum and secretory granules were observed in the animal study. The volume density of acinar parenchyma also decreased by 50% in the men with prostatic carcinoma. On the contrary, the volume density of the interacinar tissue increased significantly after the administration of spironolactone in both animal and clinical study.
From these observations it would be concluded that spironolactone has an antiandrogenic effect on the acinar parenchymal tissue of canine prostate gland as well as of human prostatic carcinoma. However, this material also has some proliferative effect on the interacinar tissue of the prostate gland, probably by elevating plasma progesterone level or by its direct action on the tissue.