The effect of androgen and estrogen on secretory epithelial cells and basal cells of the rat ventral prostate after long-term castration

Summary After long-term castration, rats were injected with cotton seed oil, testosterone- and estradiol-17β-cypionate (CS, TC and EC). The height of the epithelial cells of the ventral prostates from the castrated rats increased after TC and EC-injection. The secretory and basal cells formed two layers of epithelium, an inner layer near the lumen with pale nuclei and another layer with dark nuclei. These two layers could result from a reduction of secretory epithelial cells. Castration decreased the ratio of secretory cells to basal cells (S/B). TC-injection increased the ratio of S/B because of the secretory epithelial cell growth. Longer dark cells may be transient cells, appearing during the differentiation of basal cells into secretory epithelial cells. A sheet branching off from the basal lamina was observed. Androgen may stimulate the synthesis of the lamina, but whether it induces the synthesis or turnover of the basal lamina has not been established. EC increased the ventral prostatic weight and secretory epithelial cell height and induced the appearance of crystalline granules. Increase in S/B ratio may result from an increase in the secretory epithelial cells, but not from basal cell multiplication due to squamous metaplasia. The ratio is significantly correlated to the weight of the ventral prostate, but not to the secretory epithelial cell height. Its value could indicate the multiplication of secretory epithelial cells, differentiation of basal cells into epithelial cells, or both. It is probable that basal cells do not change in number, but control the size of the rat ventral prostate in response to the hormone level.