Sympathetic nervous system overactivity in the Wistar rat with proliferative lesions of ventral prostate induced by chronic stress.

Objectives: The sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis have been known to be reactive to psychological factors such as stress in which several humoral factors are released. Growing data suggest that stress conditions could be associated with the development or aggravation of prostatic disease. The present study aims to investigate the influence of chronic stress and blockade of the sympathetic nerve on rat prostate.

Methods: We used 2 weeks of restraint water-immersion stress to induce a chronic psychological stress model of Wistar rats. Denervation of the peripheral sympathetic nerve was done by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Blood flow of ventral prostate, plasma catecholamine and cortisol were measured at the end of the experiment. The weight and secretions of dissected prostate lobes were measured and histology was performed by hematoxylin and eosin stain.

Results: After 14 days of stress, the blood flow of ventral prostate decreased and plasma cortisol increased. The apparent proliferation of epithelium of ventral lobes were observed and dorsolateral ones were almost unaffected. On the other hand, the hyperplasia changes were not seen after the chemical sympathectomy had been done during stress.

Conclusions: Chronic stress may lead to hyperplasia of ventral prostate, the overactivity of sympathetic nervous system is involved in the pathogenesis of prostatic disease.