ULTRASTRUCTURAL STEREOLOGY - NEW APPROACH TO STUDY OF PROSTATIC FUNCTION

Abstract

Stereology is a method used to obtain quantitative information of structural changes at the light microscopy and EM level. Stereologic techniques can be used to obtain structural data from histologic and electron micrographs of intact tissue and cells. A morphometric model, which provides information on prostatic gland structure was developed for rat prostate. The model consists of morphologically defined space and membrane compartments of the prostatic gland and the glandular cells. The alterations, induced in the glandular cells of the ventral lobe of rat prostate by the administration of a synthetic progestin (ethinyl-norgestrienone), were studied by EM. The results presented are relative to a cubic centimeter of prostatic tissue, a cubic centimeter of acinar parenchyma and glandular cell cytoplasm. An attempt to relate stereologic and biochemical data is shown.