IMMEDIATE VASOACTIVE EFFECT OF CITRAL ON THE ADOLESCENT RAT VENTRAL PROSTATE

The vasoactive effect of a fragrance compound, citral, on rat ventral prostate is presented. A combined method of Indian-ink perfusion and p ostfixation transparency was used. One single dose of citral applied o n the back skin of the rat induced an immediate triple response-like e ffect on the prostatic vascular bed. A slight vasodilatation appeared already after 21/2 min, followed by a marked vasoconstriction process after 5-min postcitral administration. Toward the period of 10 min, a second vasodilatation process was noted which persisted for the follow ing 24 hr of observation. This study has demonstrated that changes in the microvascularization of the rat prostate can be estimated by count ing the number of carbon-stained blood vessels. The results obtained b y this technique are closely related with the findings in the vascular network profile of the macroangiographic observations. The mechanism of action of citral on the microvascularization of the rat ventral pro state is yet unknown. Based on the present findings, we suggest that t he neoplastic capacity of citral upon the prostatic epithelia is activ ated via a nonspecific inflammatory reaction modulated either by local release of neurotransmitters or throughout a direct effect of citral on the endothelial cells. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.