Some ultrastructural effects of testosterone and insulin on the ventral prostate of rats in organ culture.

The fine structure of the secretory epithelial cells of rat's ventral prostate has been studied following organ culture. Culturing with either testosterone or insulin alone, and with the two hormones combined, were carried out to investigate how insulin modifies the action of testosterone on the maintenance of cellular integrity. After 4 days in hormone-free culture, the secretory epithelial cells showed signs of cellular atrophy and regression, involving loss of the apical microvilli, absence of the apical secretory vacuoles, atrophy of the Golgi apparatus, decrease in rough endoplasmic reticulum and the appearance of autophagic vacuoles. The presence in the medium of either testosterone or insulin alone, or combined, prevented cellular atrophy and regression. The best maintenance of cellular integrity was obtained in a culture containing both hormones. The effects of insulin was approximately equivalent to those of testosterone in the maintenance of cellular integrity.