The prostate gland contains a higher concentration of zinc than any soft tissue in the human body previously investigated. In an extensive series of analyses Eggleton found the highest concentration in liver (245 μgm. Zn per gm. dry weight), whereas the mean zinc content of all our specimens of human prostate was 682 ± 70 μgm. per gm. dry weight. Carcinomatous prostates contained much less zinc than normal glands, and the amount of zinc in any given prostate was directly related to the proportion of alveolar tissue present.

No abstract

Dietary zinc deficiency produced by feeding a zinc-poor diet (0.5 μg. zinc per g.) to weanling rats for 8 weeks caused marked retardation in body growth, depressed growth and development of testes, epididymes, accessory sex organs, and pituitary glands, and in many cases severe atrophy of testicular germinal epithelium. The zinc concentration of dorsolateral prostates, testes, epididymes, and bone was reduced in zinc-deficient rats compared with controls receiving the zinc-poor diet plus 100 μg. zinc daily. Restricted feeding of the zinc-supplemented diet to produce body weights comparable to those in zinc-deficient rats caused a reduction in pituitary gland and accessory sex organ size which was similar to that observed in zinc-deficient rats. Testis growth and development were normal in the restricted controls and did not differ from controls fed ad libitum. The zinc concentration of dorsolateral prostates was reduced in restricted controls but exceeded that in the zinc-deficient rats. All the observed changes produced by zinc deficiency except the testicular atrophy were reversed when zinc was replaced in the diet. If testicular atrophy had occurred, neither testis nor epididymis regained normal size, function, or zinc concentration.

No abstract

A new method of preparing rats for 65Zn autoradiography has been described. By ensuring a low excretion rate of 65Zn, autoradiographs with good cellular detail were obtained. The method used for mounting stripping film prevented contact of water with the tissue except during floating-out of the sections. Autoradiographs of the lateral lobes of the dorsolateral prostate, epididymis, testis, ileum, pancreas and coat hair follicles are illustrated. 65Zn was concentrated at the base and lumen surfaces of the acinar cells in the lateral lobes of the dorsolateral prostate, in the tail pieces of testicular spermatozoa, in epididymal spermatozoa, in the Paneth cells of the ileum, in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans and in the shaft of the hair follicles. 65Zn distribution in liver, submaxillary glands, esophagus, pituitary, adrenals and kidney is also described.