Prostate secretion

The secretion of the prostate gland contains 92–95% of water, as well as salts of potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc, chlorides, phosphates, bicarbonates, citrates, numerous enzymes and protein substances ^[1] . In addition to the liquid part, the secretion of the prostate gland contains cellular elements - leukocytes , epithelial cells, as well as specific non-cellular particles - lipoid , or lecithin , grains and amyloid bodies.

Spermine causes a specific smell of prostate secretion, and whitish opalescent color gives it lipoid (lecithin) grains and cholesterol crystals. Lecithin grains and cholesterol crystals are the product of normal physiological secretion of the prostate gland. It is believed that the quantitative content of lecithin grains and cholesterol crystals in the secretion of the prostate gland reflects its functional state. Normally, lecithin grains under microscopy of the secretion of the prostate gland densely cover all fields of vision. It is the presence of lecithin grains and cholesterol crystals that determines the opalescence of the normal secretion of the prostate gland. Amyloid bodies are stained with a solution of Lugol in purple or blue like starch and it is in this connection that they got their name.

The secretion of the prostate gland contains prostaglandins , prostatic acid phosphatase ( prostatic acid phosphatase ), as well as other enzymes - hyaluronidase , fibrinolysin ( fibrinolysin ) and fibrokinase, which help thin the ejaculate, activating the movement of spermatozoa in the genital tract of women. An indicator of the functional state of the prostate gland is also the content of citric acid and zinc ions in the secretion of the prostate gland (and in the ejaculate). The secret that is obtained after massage of the prostate gland also contains a small amount of epithelial cells of the excretory ducts of the prostate glands.

The secretion of the prostate gland is about 1/3 of the volume of the ejaculate. It is believed that the secret of the prostate gland is necessary to maintain motor activity and viability of sperm outside the body of a man. The normal composition of the secretion of the prostate gland is one of the conditions for maintaining the normal fertilizing ability (fertility) of the ejaculate. With inflammation of the prostate gland ( prostatitis ), the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa is disrupted, excretory toxic infertility develops. The prostate gland is an androgen-dependent organ, therefore, with a decrease in the level of male sex hormones , for example during castration, the secretory activity of the prostate gland decreases ^[2] .

The secret of the prostate gland is obtained after a digital massage of the prostate gland through the rectum . Before the test, it is necessary that the man urinate in order to remove the contents from the urethra . The prostate gland is massaged according to the rules of medical finger massage. The secret released from the external opening of the urethra is placed on a glass slide or in a sterile tube. If a secret is not released after prostate massage, the man is offered to urinate in a test tube, and a study is carried out after centrifugation of the urine received.

The amount obtained during massage of the secretion of the prostate under normal conditions is 0.5-2.0 ml. Examination of the secretion of the prostate gland allows you to establish the presence or absence of an inflammatory process in the prostate gland (prostatitis). Microscopic examination of the secretion of the prostate gland has the following values: the number of leukocytes, the presence or absence of blood (red blood cells) in the secret, the presence and type of microorganisms, the number of lecithin grains, cholesterol crystals and amyloid bodies. It should be noted that the once normal analysis of the secretion of the prostate gland does not guarantee the absence of an inflammatory process in the prostate gland and does not exclude its presence. This is possible due to obstruction (blockage) of the excretory ducts of the prostate glands with a thick viscous secret. Normally, the secretion of the prostate gland determines no more than 10 leukocytes in the field of view, a large number of lecithin grains, microflora and red blood cells are absent ^[3] . Most objectively, one can judge the number of leukocytes when counting leukocytes of prostate secretion in the counting chamber. The norm is the number of leukocytes up to 300 cells in 1 μl (300 x 10 ⁻⁶ / l) ^[1] . The normal number of leukocytes in the secretion of the prostate gland is observed with category IIIb prostatitis according to the NIH classification (i.e. with non-inflammatory chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome ).

1. Andrology (Clinical Recommendations) Ed. P. A. Shchepleva, O. I. Apolikhina. - M.: ID MEDPRAKTIKA-M, 2007, 164 p. - ISBN 987-5-98803-070-6.
2. Laboratory diagnosis of male infertility. V. V. Dolgov, S. A. Lugovskaya, N. D. Fanchenko et al. - M. - Tver: LLC Triad Publishing House, 2006. - 145 pp. - ISBN 5-94789-144-1 .
3. Molochkov V.A., Ilyin I.I. Chronic urethrogenic prostatitis. - M .: Medicine, 2004, - 288 p. - ISBN 5-225-04097-7 .
4. Prostatitis. Ed. P. A. Shchepleva. - 2nd ed. - M .: MEDpress-inform, 2011 .-- 224 p. - ISBN 987-5-98322-694-4.

• Prostate Secret - Laboratory Testing