Sleep Deprivation Alters Rat Ventral Prostate Morphology, Leading to Glandular Atrophy: A Microscopic Study Contrasted with the Hormonal Assays

We investigated the effect of 96 h paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) and 21-day sleep restriction (SR) on prostate morphology using stereological assays in male rats. After euthanasia, the rat ventral prostate was removed, weighed, and prepared for conventional light microscopy. Microscopic analysis of the prostate reveals that morphology of this gland was altered after 96 h of PSD and 21 days of SR, with the most important alterations occurring in the epithelium and stroma in the course of both procedures compared with the control group. Both 96 h PSD and 21-day SR rats showed lower serum testosterone and higher corticosterone levels than control rats. the significance of our result referring to the sleep deprivation was responsible for deep morphological alterations in ventral prostate tissue, like to castration microscopic modifications. This result is due to the marked alterations in hormonal status caused by PSD and SR.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas IBILCE, Dept Biol, BR-15054000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP EPM, Dept Nutr, BR-04020620 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP EPM, Dept Psicobiol, BR-04020620 São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Goias, Dept Morfol, BR-74001970 Goiania, Go, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP EPM, Dept Nutr, BR-04020620 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP EPM, Dept Psicobiol, BR-04020620 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc