Ethanol induced changes in prostatic lipid profiles of albino rats

Alcohol induced changes in the ventral and dorsolateral prostatic lipid profiles were studied. The results obtained from the present study indicate that alcohol consumption leads to significant alterations in the ventral and dorsolateral prostatic lipids. An increase in the ventral prostate total cholesterol and total glyceride glycerol was observed, but a reverse trend was seen in total phospholipid. However total lipids remained unaltered. Dorsolateral prostatic total lipids, glyceride glycerol and phospholipids were increased but a decrease in total cholesterol was observed. Withdrawal of ethanol treatment for a period of 30 days brought back most of the changes to normalcy. The abnormalities in lipid profiles of both ventral and dorsolateral prostates may be responsible for the altered semen quality prevalent in chronic alcoholics.