The prostate of the gorilla.
The prostate gland from a 32-year-old gorilla was examined. The prostate weighed 15 g and was composed primarily of dilated cystic acinar areas with only modest stromal thickening. The acini were lined by a low cuboidal epithelium. A second minor population of smaller glands with extensive papillary projections was also present. The epithelial cells stained densely for acid phosphatase and prostatic-specific antigen. Human prostatic acid phosphatase content of the gland as determined by radioimmunoassay was 2.3 mg/g protein. This is the first published histologic description of a gorilla prostate. The animal was in late middle age but did not display predominant prostatic stromal hyperplasia. Prostatic acid phosphatase from the gorilla cross-reacts immunologically, or is identical to human prostatic acid phosphatase.
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011467:Prostate / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000201:enzymology; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D000135:Acid Phosphatase