Effect of neonatal administration of estrogen, antiestrogen, and testosterone on the histological picture and estrogen receptor pattern of the adult rat prostate

Abstract

Background Normal sexual development and functioning of the male reproductive organs are primarily controlled by androgens. However, estrogen also plays a role in the normal development, although this is not well defined. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the effect of neonatal administration of estrogen (E), antiestrogen (AE), and testosterone (T) on the histological picture and estrogen receptor (ER) pattern of the adult rat prostate. Materials and methods In all, 40 male albino rats at the age of 2 days were divided into four equal groups: untreated controls, rats that received E, those that received AE, and those that received T orally for 5 days starting from the second day. All rats were euthanized at the age of 6 weeks, after which specimens from the ventral lobe of the prostate were obtained. Main outcome measures Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of the investigated sections. Results In the E-treated rats, the diameter of the prostatic acini was reduced with increased fibromuscular stroma and epithelial hyperplasia. AE-treated or T-treated rats showed no histological changes compared with controls. The prostate of E-treated rats exhibited strong immunoreactivity against the ER compared with that of AE-treated or T-treated rats. The mean area percentage of ER immunoreactivity showed significant increase in E-treated rats compared with the controls, AE-treated rats, and T-treated rats. Conclusion The prostate, despite being an androgen-dependant gland, on exposure to E early in life could undergo structural disturbances that might lead to the development of prostatic disorders later.