Changes of pituitary and penile structure in male adult rats following castration and high-fat diet.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of low androgen levels and high-fat diet on the structure of pituitary and penis in male rats.


METHODS
Ten-week-old adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups, one fed a high-fat diet the other fed a normal diet; each group consisted of 3 subgroups: controls, castrated rats (with low androgen), and castrated rats given undecanoate replenishment. After 11 weeks, the structure of pituitary and penis were observed under light microscopy. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of FSH in pituitary and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in corpora cavernosa penis.


RESULTS
The structures of pituitary and penis in castrated rats were injured, and were more damaged in castration together with high-fat diet. Immunohistochemistry showed FSH expression in castrated rats pituitary while castrated rats on a high-fat diet had less positive staining than those on a normal diet. Vascular structure of corpora cavernosa penis, showed a strongly positive COX-2 expression in high-fat diet rats.


CONCLUSIONS
Castration and high-fat diet could induce structural damages of pituitary and penis in male rats. Replacement with testosterone could partially restore the impaired structure. The positive expression of COX-2 implied inflammatory pathway existence on vascular structure of penis in high-fat diet and low-androgen male rats.
Lu
Y L
YL
Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. luy662003@yahoo.com.cn
Jiang
B R
BR
Xia
F Z
FZ
Zhai
H L
HL
Chen
Y
Y
Yu
J
J
Zhao
L J
LJ
Wang
N J
NJ
Qiao
J
J
Yang
L Z
LZ
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002369:Castration; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010413:Penis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology
D004041:Dietary Fats; D004967:Estrogens; D013739:Testosterone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2