Concentration and content of zinc in the human prostate.

The concentration and content of zinc in the prostate proper were determined in an autopsy series of 61 males by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Whole glands were used for analyses. In children, the prostatic zinc concentration was 1.90 mumole per g of dry weight, similar to that of nonprostatic tissue. The reference value for prostate zinc concentration in subjects between the ages of 20 and 30 years was 10 mumole per g of dry weight and after the age of 30 15 mumole per g of dry weight. The prostatic zinc concentration and content in individuals who died from chronic disease were markedly reduced, except in cases with adenomas in the periurethral tissue. The low prostatic zinc concentration in young boys and in men with prolonged debilitating disease indicates that androgens are the major factors controlling the zinc level of the human prostate.