Effect of a hypercholesterolemic diet on serum lipid profile, plasma sex steroid levels, and prostate structure in rats.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a hypercholesterolemic diet (HD) on serum lipid profile, plasma sex steroid levels, and ventral prostate structure in rats.


METHODS
Beginning at 120 days of age, male Wistar rats were fed for 5 months with either standard rat chow (15 animals) or standard chow enriched with 4% cholesterol and 1% cholic acid (15 animals). The body and ventral prostate weights (VPWs), plasma sex steroid levels, and lipid profiles were determined, and prostate morphology in fixed tissue sections were studied.


RESULTS
The body weight of rats fed with HD did not differ from that of controls. However, both absolute and relative VPWs of HD animals were significantly lower than those of controls. HD resulted in significant elevation in total serum cholesterol and LDL levels, whereas HDL and triglyceride levels were comparable. Plasma total testosterone and estriol levels did not differ between groups, but their free fraction, along with sex hormone-binding globulin levels, were significantly affected. HD also affected the microscopic structure of the ventral prostate. Epithelial cells of the distal area formed papillary projections within the acinar lumen and had more cytoplasm than controls. In most cases, vesicular formations within the cytoplasmic area were also noted.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypercholesterolemia causes marked changes in the ventral prostate, serum lipid profile, and plasma sex steroid profile in rats and possibly alters prostate morphology by affecting the sex steroid axis, thus contributing to prostatic disease pathogenesis.
Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research, Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. catplou@yahoo.gr
Katherine
K
Ploumidou
Aspasia
A
Kyroudi-Voulgari
Despina
D
Perea
Ioannis
I
Anastasiou
Dionisios
D
Mitropoulos
D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D019826:Cholic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004964:Estriol / Q000097:blood*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000209:etiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008055:Lipids; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D013739:Testosterone; D002784:Cholesterol; D004964:Estriol; D019826:Cholic Acid