LOBE-SPECIFIC CHANGES IN ZINC LEVELS IN THE PROSTATE OF RATS EXPOSED TO TRIBUTYLTIN CHLORIDE

The prostate is an accessory sex organ that secretes essential components of semen. High levels of Zn are found both in the prostate and its secretion. In the present study, the effects of environmental stress on zinc levels in the prostate were examined in Wistar male rats exposed to tributyltin chloride (TBTC), an environmental toxicant, by inductively coupled argon plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for determination of Zn concentration in lobe-dissectioned specimens and micro-PIXE analysis for determination of site-specific distribution of Zn in prostatic sections. A single oral administration of TBTC to rats at a dose of 90 μmol/kg resulted 14 days later in a decrease in the Zn level in the dorsolateral prostate but not the ventral prostate. The TBTC did not affect the weight of the prostate tissue. Micro-PIXE imaging found Zn both in the lumen and the epithelium of the lateral prostatic tubules. PIXE spot analysis revealed that the epithelium of the control rat contained levels of Zn 4–fold higher than in the lumen and that Zn in the epithelium decreased selectively after TBTC exposure.