Biomaterial Database

Partial inhibition of castration-induced involution in rat prostate by chloroquine. A preliminary observation. 1979

W C Sharer, and C Lee, and J T Grayhack

The effect of chloroquine phosphate, a membrane stabilizing agent, on castration-induced involution in the prostate was investigated in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Chloroquine phosphate (75 mg per kg of body weight) was administered daily by gastric tube on 4 consecutive days beginning 1 day before castration. Control rats received water. All animals were sacrificed 7 days after castration and the ventral prostates were analyzed. The chloroquine group had a mean prostatic weight 17 per cent greater than that of the water-fed control group (P less than 0.01) despite a modest loss in body weight. The activity of cathepsin D, a lysosomal enzyme, in the prostate of treated rats was double that measured in control rats. Histologically, prostates from chloroquine treated rats contained more lysosomal particles that were larger than those from control rats. Serum testosterone reached castrate levels in both groups of animals within 24 hr of castration. These results indicate that it is possible to reduce the rate of prostatic regression by chloroquine, although at a small magnitude, probably through the action of membrane stabilization.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009929	Organ Size	The measurement of an organ in volume, mass, or heaviness.	Organ Volume,Organ Weight,Size, Organ,Weight, Organ
D011467	Prostate	A gland in males that surrounds the neck of the URINARY BLADDER and the URETHRA. It secretes a substance that liquefies coagulated semen. It is situated in the pelvic cavity behind the lower part of the PUBIC SYMPHYSIS, above the deep layer of the triangular ligament, and rests upon the RECTUM.	Prostates
D002369	Castration	Surgical removal or artificial destruction of gonads.	Gonadectomy,Castrations,Gonadectomies
D002403	Cathepsins	A group of lysosomal proteinases or endopeptidases found in aqueous extracts of a variety of animal tissues. They function optimally within an acidic pH range. The cathepsins occur as a variety of enzyme subtypes including SERINE PROTEASES; ASPARTIC PROTEINASES; and CYSTEINE PROTEASES.	Cathepsin
D002738	Chloroquine	The prototypical antimalarial agent with a mechanism that is not well understood. It has also been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and in the systemic therapy of amebic liver abscesses.	Aralen,Arechine,Arequin,Chingamin,Chlorochin,Chloroquine Sulfate,Chloroquine Sulphate,Khingamin,Nivaquine,Sulfate, Chloroquine,Sulphate, Chloroquine
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012313	RNA	A polynucleotide consisting essentially of chains with a repeating backbone of phosphate and ribose units to which nitrogenous bases are attached. RNA is unique among biological macromolecules in that it can encode genetic information, serve as an abundant structural component of cells, and also possesses catalytic activity. (Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed)	RNA, Non-Polyadenylated,Ribonucleic Acid,Gene Products, RNA,Non-Polyadenylated RNA,Acid, Ribonucleic,Non Polyadenylated RNA,RNA Gene Products,RNA, Non Polyadenylated
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus