Chemical Orchiectomy Using Absolute Alcohol Injection into Rat Testicles

Yoon, Kwang Jun; Yoon, Yool Ro

Abstract

PURPOSE: In patients suffering from prostate cancer, endocrine treatment is commonly applied to either locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer. But, there are many side effects with endocrine treatment in spite of its good response. We studied the effect of castration using absolute alcohol injection into the testis of Sprague-Dawley rats.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We checked and compared the serum testosterone level after surgical castration and the injection of a serial amount of alsolute alcohol into the testis of sixty Sprague-Dawley rats. The histologic findings of the testes and prostates in those injected with absolute alcohol were also evaluated.
RESULTS
The testosterone level of normal control was 2.29 +/-0.47ng/ microliterand that of the bilateral orchiectomy group was 0.03 +/-0.02ng/ml. The testosterone level of the groups that were injected with absolute alcohol more than 25% of testicular weight were the same as the testosterone level of castrated rats. The histologic findings of the testes and prostates in those injected with absolute alcohol more than 25% of testicular weight were diffusely atrophied.
CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that chemical orchiectomy using absolute alcohol as a new endocrine treatment is another modality in advanced prostatic cancer patients who need an orchiectomy.