Morphometric features of the prostate gland in rats with sulpiride-induced hyperplasia after combined administration of vitamin D and saw palmetto fruit extract

Background. The polyetiological nature, pathological changes in the structure of the prostate gland (PG), and various side effects resulting from prolonged use of certain prostate protectors, as well as the significant deterioration of menʼs health caused by the stressful conditions of modern life, encourage researchers to seek new approaches for the treatment and prevention of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Purpose – was to analyze the morphometric features of the prostate gland of rats with simulated sulpiride-induced hyperplasia after the combined use of vitamin D3 and saw palmetto fruit extract. Materials and Methods. 54 prostate tissue biopsies from 12-month-old sexually active male rats weighing 330–380g (n = 9) were studied. The experimental animals were randomized and divided into groups: group I served as the control, consisting of male rats without pathology; group II included animals with induced BPH; group III consisted of rats with induced BPH that received a combination of vitamin D3 and Serenoa Repens extract. Modeling of BPH was carried out by intramuscular injection of a drug containing the active ingredient – sulpiride (solution for injections, 50 mg/ml) at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight of animals for 30 days (group II, BPH). Animals of the control group (group I, control) received 0.5 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride solution intramuscularly daily. From the 31st to the 51st day of the experiment, the rats were administered two means to correct the pathological condition (combined use): per os vitamin D3 in a dose of 4000 ME and Serenoa Repens fruit extract in a dose of 35 mg/kg body weight (group ІІІ, BPH+vitamin D3+extract of Serenoa Repens). Tissue biopsies of the dorsal and ventral zone of the PG were microscopically examined, the features of the stromal, parenchymal, and vascular components, the presence or absence of secondary changes, and the morphometric assessment of the level of hyperplasia (height of the glandular epithelium, stromal, and parenchymal components (%), stromal-parenchymal index (SPI). Were used Mann-Whitney U-test (MU) for descriptive statistics and calculation methods Results. When comparing the morphometric parameters of tissue biopsies of the ventral part of the prostate of the II and I groups, it was established that after simulated sulpiride-induced hyperplasia of the prostate, the height of the epithelium increased to 77.06 ± 0.50 μm; the specific weight of the stromal component decreased to 45.33 ± 0.50%; the specific weight of the parenchymal component increased to 54.67 ± 0.50%; and SPI decreased to 0.83 ± 0.02 a.u., p < 0.05. Similar changes were found in the morphometric parameters of biopsy tissue of the dorsal part of the prostate, but they were more pronounced. Thus, the SPI in group II decreased by 3.6 times compared with the index of group I, p < 0.05. After the combined use of drugs in the morphometric parameters of the III group of the study compared with those of the II group, a statistically significant decrease in the height of hyperplastic epithelium and the proportion of the parenchymal component in the ventral part of the PG was noted, p < 0.05. However, the proportion of the stromal component and SPI, on the contrary, statistically significantly increased, p < 0.05. Similar changes were found in the morphometric parameters of biopsy tissue of the dorsal part of the PG, but they were more significant, as the SPI increased by 3.3 times (p < 0.05). Conclusions. It was established that in group II rats, the glandular epithelium of the dorsal part of the prostate was more sensitive, compared to the stroma, to the hypersecretion of prolactin that occurs during the use of sulpiride, which is morphologically confirmed by the presence of significant hyperplasia and a decrease in SPI (p < 0.05). The combined use of vitamin D3 and Serenoa Repens extract for the correction of BPH contributed to a significant improvement in morphometric parameters in both the ventral and dorsal parts of the rat PG, as evidenced by positive changes in the SPI, respectively, 1.26 ± 0.03 a.u. and 1.0 ± 0.01 a.u.