Hormonal effects on zinc concentration and morphology of rat lateral prostate gland

Hypophysectomized rats were injected with prolactin and/or testosterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin and/or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Tissue from the lateral prostate was processed for spectrophotometric determination of zinc and for electron microscopy. Changes in zinc concentration, epithelial height, and morphological characteristics were used to assess the effect of hormonal replacement on functional activity. Although testosterone administration resulted in full restoration of all parameters, there was no evidence of a synergistic effect of prolactin and testosterone. Prolactin alone decreased the zinc concentration and increased the epithelial height compared with control animals, and there was evidence of epithelial hyperplasia. Luteinizing hormone, alone or combined with prolactin or prolactin and FSH, resulted in a marked increase of epithelial height and restoration of morphological features found in intact animals; however, only a slight increase of zinc concentration over control values was elicited. Combined LH and FSH administration reduced epithelial height and zinc concentration compared with the other LH regimes, and there was evidence of cellular degeneration.