Abstract

Vladimir Zaichick* and Sofia Zaichick

ABSTRACT

The variation with age of the Al, B, Ba,Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Si, Sr, and Zn concentration in prostatic parenchyma and the relationship of these chemical elements with basic histological structures of nonhyperplastic prostate glands of 65 subjects aged 21–87 years was investigated by an instrumental neutron activation analysis combined with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and a quantitative morphometric analysis. A significant trend for increase with age in Ba, Fe, and Zn concentration as well as for increase with age in relative volume of stroma and decrease in relative volume of epithelium was found. It was demonstrated that the glandular lumen and, therefore, prostatic fluid is a main pool of Ca, P, Sr, and Zn accumulation in the normal human prostate, for the age range 21 to 40 years. For age above 40 the redistribution of Ca and Zn between prostatic cells and fluid begins and the concentration of Ca and Zn in cells increases. In this period of life stroma is the main pool of Al, Cl, Fe, K, S, and Si accumulation in the normal human prostate. The interrelation between the K concentration and stroma correlates with the overgrowth of the stromal cells, while the Fe concentration in prostate reflects individual levels of stromal vascularization. Thus, for ages above 40 years conclusive evidence of a disturbance in prostatic chemical element concentrations and their histological distribution was shown.