Role of autonomic innervation in rat prostatic structure maintenance: a morphometric analysis

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Neuroscience
• Cell Biology

Background:

• The major pelvic ganglion (MPG) plays a crucial role in regulating autonomic functions, including those of the prostate.
• Understanding the impact of denervation on prostate structure is essential for diagnosing and treating related pathologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the structural consequences of major pelvic ganglion (MPG) excision on the rat prostate ventral lobe (VL).
• To analyze morphometric and ultrastructural changes in prostatic epithelial and smooth muscle cells following denervation.

Main Methods:

• Studied 80 Sprague-Dawley rats, with 42 undergoing right MPG excision and 38 serving as controls.
• Prostate ventral lobes were evaluated using macroscopic, light microscopy (LM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after 28-30 days.
• Computerized morphometric analysis assessed epithelial and muscle cell characteristics.

Main Results:

• MPG excision resulted in a 36.6% reduction in ventral lobe fresh weight.
• LM showed decreased epithelial proportion (27.9% to 14.8%) and unchanged stromal/glandular proportions.
• TEM revealed reduced epithelial cell height, cytoplasm, Golgi, and endoplasmic reticulum areas, decreased secretory granules, and fewer microvilli. Smooth muscle cells exhibited increased ribosomal aggregates.

Conclusions:

• Denervation via MPG excision leads to significant rat prostatic ventral lobe atrophy, driven by epithelial component shrinkage.
• Ultrastructural changes indicate a decrease in epithelial cell secretory activity post-denervation.
• Increased ribosomal aggregates in stromal smooth muscle suggest potential cellular activation following denervation.