Vascular anatomy of the rat ventral prostate

The rat ventral prostate gland is a model tissue to study the effects of an drogenic steroids on prostate cells. Recent reports suggest that the prosta tic vascular system is a primary target of androgen action in this tissue. In order to better understand how the vascular system of the ventral prosta te supports the tissue in an androgenically normal adult male rat we utiliz ed a variety of microscopic imaging techniques to more fully characterize i ts structural anatomy and its interaction with other prostatic cell types. Vascular corrosion casts were produced from the mature ventral prostate gla nds of rats. These casts were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM ) to describe gross and fine details of the prostate vascular anatomy. Fixe d thin sections of ventral prostates were immunostained with anti-Factor XI II and analyzed by Light microscopy for the presence of capillary elements within the prostatic glands. Other sections were directly analyzed by trans mission electron microscopy (TEM) to describe the anatomical relationship b etween the capillaries and the prostatic ducts and their associated glands. The rat ventral prostate is supplied with blood by branches of the inferior vesical artery which enters the apex of the tissue from the base of the ur inary bladder. Visualization of the prostatic vascular network under SEM sh ows that this major vessel is found on the posterior-medial surface of the tissue (closest to the bladder). This surface also has numerous serpentine vessels that appear to facilitate a stable blood supply to the prostate in accommodation of urinary bladder distension. Examination of the opposing su rface of the casts allowed a crude description of the structure of the pros tatic ductal system with the distal tips of the ducts (containing the prost ate glands) oriented towards the anterior-lateral surface of the tissue. On this surface, one can discern a series of adjacent basket-shaped vascular structures of distributing arterioles that supply a dense complex of fine c apillaries to the glands. Analysis of the interface of the prostatic ductal system with its vascular elements by light microscopy and TEM shows that s ome capillaries lie immediately adjacent to the basement membranes of the g lands while others can be found interspersed within the myofibroblast layer surrounding the ducts and glands. Veins accompany the arteries and combine with the superior vesical before entering the common iliac vein. This study gives a comprehensive acid detailed view of the microvasculature of the rat ventral prostate gland. The findings here will provide the basi s for future experiments to evaluate how the ventral prostate vascular syst em changes in response to androgenic manipulation and to other pathological conditions. Anat Rec 256:403-411, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.