Quantitative study of mast cells in experimentally induced benign prostatic hyperplasia.
BACKGROUND
Mast cells are involved in a number of biological responses to exocrine and endocrine stimuli, by releasing growth factors and certain cytokines. The aim of this study was to evaluate their number and distribution in experimentally induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats.


METHODS
Adult Wistar rats (100 days old) were given citral transdermally for 1 month. Morphological characteristics and mast cell concentration were studied in proximal and distal zones after staining with hematoxylin-eosin and Giemsa, respectively.


RESULTS
Citral induced mild benign prostatic hyperplasia. Mast cell numbers were increased significantly in both the proximal (2.97 +/- 0.52 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.17, p = 0.004) and distal zone (2.8 +/- 0.68 vs. 1.16 +/- 0.11, p = 0.011).


CONCLUSIONS
Transdermal citral application resulted in a significant increase of mast cell numbers in the stroma of the rat ventral prostate. Furthermore, these mast cells were larger, contained a significant number of intracytoplasmic granules and degranulated. This finding suggests a role for mast cells in the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Papadoukakis
Stefanos
S
Department of Urology, Klinikum Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany. stevedoc71@yahoo.co.uk
Kyroudi-Voulgari
Aspasia
A
Truss
Michael C
MC
Perea
Despina
D
Mitropoulos
Dionisios
D
D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000818:Animals; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; C007076:citral