Relations of bromine, iron, rubidium, strontium, and zinc content to morphometric parameters in pediatric and nonhyperplastic young adult prostate glands.

The variation with age of the Br, Fe, Rb, Sr, and Zn mass fractions and some histological characteristics of intact prostate glands of 50 subjects aged 0-30 years was investigated by an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and a quantitative morphometric analysis. Mean values ± standard error of the mean (M ± SΕΜ) for the mass fractions (in milligrams per kilogram wet-mass basis) of these trace elements in pre-puberty were: Br-10.5 ± 1.3, Fe-28.6 ± 4.1, Rb-3.05 ± 0.27, Sr-0.42 ± 0.08, and Zn-32.9 ± 3.2. During puberty and postpuberty, when there is a significant increase in circulating androgens, the mean values were: Br-5.60 ± 0.57, Fe-19.3 ± 1.6, Rb-3.50 ± 0.28, Sr-0.24 ± 0.03, and Zn-113 ± 10. Mean values (M ± SΕΜ) of percent volumes (%) of the stroma, epithelium, and lumen in the prostate before puberty were 73.4 ± 2.6, 20.4 ± 1.7, and 4.45 ± 0.94, respectively, versus 46.5 ± 2.5, 38.5 ± 1.9, and 14.9 ± 1.2 during puberty and postpuberty. A significant positive correlation between the prostatic Zn and percent volume of both glandular epithelium (r = 0.573, p ≤ 0.001) and glandular lumen (r = 0.725, p ≤ 0.001) was found. For the first time, it has been demonstrated that the glandular lumen is a main pool of Zn accumulation, and that the stroma is a main pool of Br and Fe accumulation in the normal human prostate, for the age range 14 to 30 years. It was concluded that the Zn binds tightly within the prostatic fluid because the volume of glandular lumen reflects the volume of prostatic fluid.