The Prostate and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Anthony R. Mundy, John M. Fitzpatrick, David E. Neal, Nicholas J. R. George in The Scientific Basis of Urology, 2010
An average urologist spends about 30% of his or her time dealing with problems related to the prostate. Surprisingly, for a structure that attracts so much of our attention, we know very little about why the prostate is there and what it does. It is one of four accessory sex glands or pairs of glands; the other three are the seminal vesicles, Cowper’s glands, and the glands of Littre. If we know little about the prostate, we know even less about the others. The seminal vesicles, which are secretory glands and not storage organs for semen as their name implies, contribute substantially to the volume of seminal fluid and produce one or two substances that we know about, notably fructose and glyceryl phosphocholine. However, the other two structures are something of a mystery. The embryological development of these organs reflects notable gender-specific differences and contrasts substantial species-specific differences in the structural and functional development of the mammalian male genital tract.
Equine Semen Preservation: Current and Future Trends
Juan Carlos Gardón, Katy Satué in Biotechnologies Applied to Animal Reproduction, 2020
The ejaculate is a liquid suspension composed of sperm and seminal plasma, which comprised a complex mixture of secretions (fructose, sorbitol, ascorbic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, and hormones). Seminal plasma-derived primarily from the epididymis and accessory sex glands of the male. It participates in the final sperm maturation, modifies spermatic membrane surface, besides acts as a vehicle for the ejaculated sperm and protects the spermatozoa during the female reproductive tract transport (Töpfer-Petersen et al., 2000). In stallion, the seminal plasma is normally separated from the semen during the cryopreservation process, since it has proved to be a harmful medium because decrease the percentage of sperm with progressive motility (Pickett et al., 1975; Jasko et al., 1992). The ejaculate should not be exposed to mechanical damage, light, cold, or heat and the equipment in contact with the sperm must be tempered, dry, clean, and free of toxic residues. After ejaculation, the semen will be kept at 30/32ºC before the seminal evaluation and subsequent dilution (Brinsko and Varner, 1992).
Anatomy and physiology
Suzanne Everett in Handbook of Contraception and Sexual Health, 2020
The seminal vesicles, prostate gland and bulbourethral glands are all accessory sex glands which provide sperm with transport medium and nutrients (Table 3.1). The seminal vesicles – These are secretory glands found in the base of the prostate gland and provide the transport medium for sperm. The fluid is alkaline and contains fructose, prostaglandins, ascorbic acid and globulins.The prostate gland – is found in the neck of the bladder in an adult; it is 3 cm in diameter and contains mucosal glands. Prostatic secretions are thin and milky and contain enzymes which include acid phosphatase, acid hydrolase, protease, fibrinolysin and calcium and citrates. Prostate secretions are important for stimulating sperm motility and for neutralising vaginal acidity.The bulbourethral glands – these secrete mucus to provide lubrication during ejaculation; they are found between the prostate and the penis.
Exploring the internal exposome of seminal plasma with semen quality and live birth: A Pilot Study
Published in Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine, 2023
Emily Houle, YuanYuan Li, Madison Schroder, Susan L McRitchie, Tayyab Rahil, Cynthia K Sites, Susan Jenkins Sumner, J. Richard Pilsner
Seminal plasma is the medium produced by several accessory sex glands of the male reproductive tract. Approximately 90% of semen is comprised of seminal plasma (Duncan and Thompson 2007), which protects and nourishes sperm during transit in the male reproductive tract and, subsequently, in the female reproductive tract. The components of seminal plasma are diverse and include fructose, putrescine, spermine, and spermidine, which protect sperm from the acidic female reproductive tract. Other components include proteins, extracellular vesicles, RNAs, and antioxidants (Dobrakowski et al. 2017; Ayaz et al. 2021). These components have been shown to play important roles in sperm development and function, suggesting that the seminal plasma is not just a medium for sperm transfer and protection but can also be utilized as a biospecimen matrix to study spermatogenesis and male infertility (Panner Selvam et al. 2021). In addition to the endogenous metabolites and proteins related to the host metabolism, many xenobiotic compounds originating from environmental and other exogeneous exposures (e.g., nutrition, pharmaceuticals, etc.) can also be identified in seminal plasma (Laws et al. 2021; Rodprasert et al. 2021).
Update on the proteomics of male infertility: A systematic review
Published in Arab Journal of Urology, 2018
Manesh Kumar Panner Selvam, Ashok Agarwal
Seminal plasma is heterogeneous as it is composed of secretions from the testis and accessory glands (including the prostate, seminal vesicles, epididymis, and Cowper’s gland), which provide a favourable environment for the spermatozoa [24]. It has a rich protein concentration (35–55 g/L) and most seminal plasma proteins originate from accessory sex glands. Seminal plasma proteins are responsible for the coagulation–liquefaction process, making it complex for proteomic studies. Pilch and Mann [25] reported the expression of 923 proteins in the seminal plasma and 70% of these proteins were present in spermatozoa [23]. Jodar et al. [22] identified 284 proteins including: TGF β1 (TGFB1), TGF β3 (TGFB3), antimicrobial peptide 1 (AMP1), serpin family A member 7 (SERPINA7), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), dystroglycan 1 (DAG1), disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 10 (ADAM10), vitronectin (VTN), platelet-derived growth factor subunit A (PDGFA) and IGF-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2), which were specific only to seminal plasma. The same research group reviewed nine studies and reported 2064 proteins in the seminal plasma. Semenogelins (SEMG1 and SEMG2) were the two most abundant proteins (80%), whereas 10% of the proteins were from seminal extracellular vesicles, including epididymosomes and prostasomes [22].
Effects of Black Raspberries and Their Constituents on Rat Prostate Carcinogenesis and Human Prostate Cancer Cell Growth In Vitro
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2020
Jillian N. Eskra, Alaina Dodge, Michael J. Schlicht, Maarten C. Bosland
At necropsy, the rat accessory sex glands were excised with the urinary bladder following euthanasia through exsanguination while under ketamine-xylazine anesthesia or by cervical dislocation after CO2 inhalation and asphyxiation. Accessory sex glands, pituitaries, and all grossly observed lesions in other organs were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin. After fixation, the ventral prostate, dorsolateral prostate, and anterior prostate plus seminal vesicles were dissected and processed then embedded in paraffin wax. From the ventral prostate and grossly observed tumor masses one section was made. From all other accessory sex gland tissues step sections were prepared at 250 µm intervals. All sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin as described by McCormick et al. (31). All prostate lobes and other accessory sex glands were evaluated histopathologically and the presence, type, and size of all lesions were scored, using previously published criteria (31–33).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Bulbourethral Gland
- Seminal Vesicles
- Sperm
- Spermatozoon
- Ejaculation
- Prostate
- Seminal Fluid Protein
- Urethral Gland
- Fertilisation
- Tubular Gland