Hormonal and pathologic changes after chemoablation of testes with hypertonic saline solution as a treatment method alternative to orchiectomy in patients with hormone sensitive metastatic prostatic cancer

Abstract

Objective We tried to clarify whether less invasive and lower-cost method of injecting hypertonic saline solution could be an alternative to orchiectomy. Materials and methods Thirty adult healthy male Wistar rats were used as experimental animals. Three groups were made as 0.9% NaCl administered to the first group, orchiectomy performed to the second group, and 20% saline solution administered to the third group. To measure baseline testosterone values were obtained from all rats 1 day before the procedure. Blood samples obtained to analyze total testosterone from all rats at days 1, 15, and 60 were centrifuged and stored in deep freeze. After blood samples were obtained at day 60, intramuscular 100 IU HCG (Pregnyl) was administered to all rats. Following HCG injection, new blood samples were obtained to analyze testosterone levels at 120 minutes. Results On microscopic examination, while extensive coagulation necrosis was seen in the third group, in only two samples in this group, an area of intact tissue was observed. Baseline, day 1, day 15, and month 2 testoterone levels of all groups were analyzed. When changes in testosterone levels between baseline values and month 2 control levels were compared, changes in the second and third group were detected statistically significant, and there was no statistically significant difference between these two groups. When month 2 and post-HCG stimulation test serum testosterone levels were compared, a statistically significant increase was found only in the first group. Conclusions These data indicate that since there are nearly the same pathological and biochemical results with bilateral orchiectomy and no negative findings were found for comorbidity, bilateral injection of 20% hypertonic saline solution into the testes could be an alternative in the treatment of hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer.