Where is the prostate located?

The prostate is the reproductive gland of the male body, which is mainly used to produce prostatic fluid and semen. The male prostate is mainly located in the male bladder and urethra. After the prostatic fluid and semen are mixed, they will be discharged from the body through the urethra. The prostate is very critical in sexual life. You should pay more attention to its maintenance and prevent prostate diseases.

Where is the prostate located?

The prostate is a male reproductive gland and an exocrine gland. It mainly produces prostatic fluid, which is a major component of semen and accounts for about 80% of the total amount of semen. The anatomical location of the prostate is at the beginning of the posterior urethra below the bladder. Its relationship with the posterior urethra is a soft relationship, that is, the urethra passes through the prostate and then enters the anterior urethra to reach the outside of the body. The prostate also has an opening, which is in the posterior urethra. During sexual intercourse, prostatic fluid and seminal vesicle fluid mix into semen, which is also discharged from the posterior urethra to the outside of the body. It is mainly a major process to complete sexual activity.

Organizational structure

1. It is composed of 30 to 50 alveolar glands, which merge into 15 to 30 ducts, opening into the urethra. Connective tissue and smooth muscle constitute the prostate capsule, and extend into the gland to form the glandular stroma, which separates and surrounds the alveoli and ducts. The acinar cavity of the prostate is relatively large, and the glandular epithelium often forms many papillae or folds that extend into the glandular cavity, so the glandular cavity is very irregular. The types of glandular epithelium vary, from single-layer cubic, single-layer columnar to pseudo-stratified columnar, and its changes are related to the level of androgen. There is abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm of the acinar cells, developed Golgi complexes in the supranuclear region, and a large number of secretory granules at the top. Epithelial cells have strong acid phosphatase activity. There are often round or oval prostate coagulation bodies in the glandular cavity, with a diameter of 0.2 to 2 mm. The coagulation body is formed by the concentration of secretions and can undergo calcification. Its cross-section is in the form of concentric circles. This structure increases with age.

2. Glands can be divided into three groups: ① Mucosal glands: the smallest, located in the urethral mucosa, with the duct opening into the urethra; ② Submucosal glands: located in the submucosal layer of the urethra, with the duct opening into the urethra on both sides of the spermatic colliculus; ③ Main glands: located on the periphery of the prostate, occupying most of the prostate, and also opening into the urethra on both sides of the spermatic colliculus. Mucosal glands are prone to nodular hyperplasia and compress the urethra. Prostate cancer often occurs in the main glands. When cancerous, the activity of glandular cell acid phosphatase is significantly enhanced. Testing this enzyme is helpful for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

3. Prostate secretion is the main component of semen. It is a colorless turbid liquid with a weak acidity (pH 6.5). It is rich in proteolytic enzymes and fibrolytic enzymes, which can liquefy semen. It also contains high concentrations of zinc, citric acid and acid phosphatase, the latter two of which are sensitive indicators for detecting prostate function and forensic identification of semen. The secretory activity of the prostate is regulated by testosterone.

Related diseases and treatments

1. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as prostate hypertrophy, is a common disease among middle-aged and elderly men. It is also called benign prostatic hyperplasia. Among inpatients in urology, it ranks second only to urolithiasis.

2. Treatment methods

①Drug treatment: The first-line drugs for treating BPH nowadays are α receptor blockers, 5α reductase inhibitors and herbal medicines. Among them, α-receptor blockers have a fast onset of action and are effective for different degrees of prostate hypertrophy in different locations, but they are only effective for patients with milder symptoms and smaller prostate volume, and may cause postural hypotension; 5α-reductase inhibitors can reduce the size of the prostate, reverse the progression of the disease, and improve symptoms, but they are relatively slow to take effect and generally require continuous medication for more than 2 to 3 months to take effect. In addition, there may be symptoms such as erectile dysfunction and low libido; although the combination of α-receptor blockers and 5α-reductase inhibitors can more effectively reduce the clinical progression rate of BPH and reduce the incidence of acute urinary retention than single-drug treatment, adverse reactions and costs also increase accordingly. The mechanism of herbal medicine in treating prostatic hyperplasia is still unclear, and there is still a lack of high-quality, large-scale, placebo-controlled studies.