title: Antioxidant supplementation decreases the cell death rate in the prostatic stromal tissue of long-term castrated rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of castration on cell death rate of the adult rat prostates and to evaluate the benefic action of alpha tocopherol supplementation to avoid apoptosis post-orchiectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty male Wistar rats weighing 250-300g were divided into three groups: group I - they were subjected to bilateral orchiectomy and sacrificed eight weeks after the procedure; group II - subjected to bilateral orchiectomy and alpha-tocopherol supplementation for four weeks preceding the procedure; and group III - subjected to bilateral orchiectomy and alpha-tocopherol supplementation for four weeks preceding the procedure and for eight weeks afterwards. At the end of the experiment, the prostatectomy was performed in all rats. The presence of oxidative stress was determined by assaying the blood level of 8-isoprostane and the occurrence of apoptosis was evaluated by identification of active caspase-3 through immunohistochemical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The statistic analysis of active caspase-3 showed that in the long-term castrated group the detection was higher than in groups were the alpha-tocopherol was supplemented (p=0.007). Analysis of 8-isoprostane levels showed higher concentrations of reactive oxygen species in group I compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Groups II and III presented active caspase-3 lower than in group I (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our exploratory analyses demonstrate a method to study the aging process and its influence on oxidative stress of prostatic tissue and cells death rate. Based on our results we can suggest that alpha tocopherol supplementation can decrease the apoptotic process as well as the oxidative stress levels induced by androgen deprivation of the prostate gland.
authors: Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. guifartes@hotmail.com
authors: Guilherme
authors: G
authors: Fartes
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Lorenzetti
authors: Larissa Beloti
authors: LB
authors: Salvador
authors: Valdemar
authors: V
authors: Ortiz
authors: Miriam
authors: M
authors: Dambros
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000032:analysis; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects*; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011467:Prostate / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; C075750:8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha; D013739:Testosterone; D015237:Dinoprost; D053148:Caspase 3; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol