Anatomy and Histology of the Human and Murine Prostate

Abstract

The human and murine prostate glands have similar functional roles in the generation of seminal fluid to assist in reproduction. There are significant differences in the anatomy and histology of murine and human prostate and knowledge of the normal anatomy and histology of the murine prostate is essential to interpreting changes in genetically engineered mouse models. In this review, the normal anatomy and histology of both human and mouse prostate will be described.

Figure 1.

Schematic illustration of human and mouse prostate and adjacent structures. (A) Human prostate showing the location of the three zones of the prostate. (B) Mouse prostate showing different lobes of the prostate and their relation to adjacent structures.

Figure 2.

Human prostate and seminal vesicles. (A) Low, (B) medium, and (C,D) high-power views of the peripheral zone of the human prostate. Note the loosely lobulated arrangement of acini (A,B). Basal cells are characterized by ovoid nuclei and lie near the basement membrane (C, arrows). The acini can have small papillae (D). (E) Laminated corpora amylacea are commonly seen with the prostatic acini (arrows). (F) Benign prostatic hyperplasia is characterized by nodular proliferation of epithelium and stroma. This nodule shown at low power has both epithelial and stromal hyperplasia. Cystic atrophy is common in hyperplastic nodules (arrow). Chronic inflammation is present in the lower left. (G) Low power of seminal vesicle with central lumen indicated by an arrow with numerous smaller glandular structures. (H) High-power view of seminal vesicle; the abundant yellow liposfuschin pigment is epithelium. The amount of pigment is variable and in this example is particularly abundant.

Figure 3.

Mouse prostate and adjacent structures. (A) Ventral prostate. Note flat epithelium and bluish tinged secretion. Stroma is thin. (B) Lateral prostate. Flat epithelium with this stroma with characteristic clumped eosinophilic secretions. (C) Dorsal prostate. Papillated epithelium with thicker fibromuscular stroma. (D) Anterior prostate. Papillated epithelium with more intensely eosinophilc cytoplasm. (E) Ampullary gland. Flat epithelium with characteristic “Swiss cheese” appearance of secretions. (F) Seminal vesicle. Papillated epithelium with intensely eosinophilic secretions. All at 200× magnification.