[Zinc in prostatic physiopathology. I. Role of zinc in the physiology and biochemistry of the prostatic gland].

To sum up the role of zinc in prostatic physiology and biochemistry: a) Zinc is found in normal prostate tissue in a greater concentration than in any other organ in the economy, ranging between 0.70 and 1 mgm/gm. of dry tissue. b) The concentration of prostate liquid and semen is greater than that in any other organic liquid. c) It appears that the prostate gland is a zinc storing organ (or deposit). d) The zinc concentration in prostatic tissue is directly proportional to the amount of alveolar tissue existing in the gland. e) It has been shown that the Zn concentration is greater in the nuclear sediment of the different subcellular fractions of the human prostate gland. f) The prostate gland seems to supply zinc to the human sperm and plays an important role in the metabolic activity of the spermatozoid. g) There seems to be a clear difference between the distribution and absorption of radioactive zinc in the different lobes of the prostate gland. h) Zinc also plays an important part in the enzymatic activity of the prostate gland and in the polymeric organization of the RNA and DNA and is vital for cell division. i) Prostatic Zn has a clear hormonal dependency.