The ultrastructure of the accessory sex organs of the male rat. XII. Nuclear alterations of prostatic epithelial cells induced by anti-androgens.

The fine structure of the nuclei of epithelial cells of the dorsal lobe of the rat prostate were studied after administration of three different anit-androgenic compounds. The nucleolus appears to undergo a progressive disorganisation with partial fragmentation and dispersion of its normal components. Different types of intranuclear inclusions were found. The various alterations observed were often encountered within the same section. This may indicate that the nuclear alterations occur in the same compartment of the cell, and represent a dysfunction of integrated biochemical events occurring within this compartment. The findings support a view that the stimulatory secretory effect of androgens is mediated via a "secretory center", located within the nucleolus-associated chromatin. Within this "secretory center", the initial steps of the secretory process, the binding of the DHT receptor complex to DNA is assumed to occur.