title: Zinc arginine, a 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, reduces rat ventral prostate weight and DNA without affecting testicular function.
abstract: Zinc has been implicated in steroid endocrinology of the prostate gland; and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is believed to express androgenic responses in the prostate. To note the effect of neutralized zinc (zinc gluconate + arginine) on the prostate, 50 sexually mature rats, weighing 325 +/- 20 g, were divided into five groups as follows: (1) control, (2) sham, (3) castrated, and injected intraprostatically with (4) 10 mg neutralized zinc, and (5) 20 mg neutralized zinc. Results indicated significant reduction (P < 0.05) of prostate weight, 5 alpha-reductase activity, and total protein and DNA concentrations in treated prostate tissue; no significant change in weight and histological structure of testes, epididymides, and seminal vesicles; and no significant effect on progeny and blood testosterone level of treated animals. These results suggest that direct application of neutralized zinc to the prostate offers a new modality for treatment of prostatitis without affecting spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Center of Reproductive Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia 65212.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Fahim
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sutcu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fahim
mesh_terms: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011467:Prostate / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D011506:Proteins; D013739:Testosterone; D004247:DNA; D015032:Zinc