title: Female prostate: historical, developmental, and morphological perspectives.
abstract: The female prostate was first described by Reijnier de Graaf in 1672, and even after several years this gland is still a matter of controversy. Part of this is because the biological function of this female gland is unclear. Moreover, when compared with the male prostate, the existence of this organ in females does not make sense, mainly when we consider that the major function of this gland is to produce a secretion that is responsible for guarantee the sperm survival and assure the reproductive success. However, even under a controversy field, we now have a lot of scientific information which enhances our knowledge of several important biological aspects of this gland. It is clear that this gland is found in some female mammals including humans, rodents, rabbits, bats, and dogs. Several studies with rodents showed that the female prostate is homolog of the male prostate, showing strong macroscopic and microscopic similarities with the ventral lobe of males. Besides these aspects, there are several studies reporting that diseases such as cysts, hyperplasia, and carcinoma may affect the female prostate. Therefore, although diseases involving the female prostate are rare, the susceptibility of this organ to develop lesions must be considered, especially in our recent years in which the exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals has greatly increased. Finally, further studies will be necessary to enhance our understanding about this gland, mainly of the developmental, evolutionary, and biological functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, Embryology, and Cell Biology, Federal University of Goiás, Av. Esperança, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás 74690-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Manoel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Biancardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, Embryology, and Cell Biology, Federal University of Goiás, Av. Esperança, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás 74690-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda C A
authors.initials: FCA
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Av. Bertrand Russel, Campinas, São Paulo 13084864, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hernandes F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Av. Bertrand Russel, Campinas, São Paulo 13084864, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno D A
authors.initials: BDA
authors.lastname: Sanches
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, State University of São Paulo, R. Cristóvão Colombo 2265, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo 15054000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sebastião R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Taboga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans / Q000196:embryology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000196:embryology; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014566:Urogenital System
keywords: development; female prostate; gerbil; prostatic lesions; testosterone