Androgen-Induced Growth of the Os Penis of Hypophysectomized-Gonadectomized Rats.

Abstract

Rats hypophysectomized and castrated on day 26 and injected immediately thereafter with 0.1 mg testosterone propionate daily for 21 days showed an average daily weight gain of 1g. During the same period unoperated, uninjected littermate controls gained approximately 5g daily. The distal segment of the penis of these experimental animals weighed on an average 25% more than the normal 47-day-old controls. The ossicle in this portion of the penis of the experimental group measured 3.80 ± 0.12 mm as contrasted with the normal length of 4.1 ± 0.2 mm and the original length of 3.33 ± 0.15 mm for the 26-day-old normal and the length of 3.20 ± 0.18 mm for the doubly-operated 47-day-old controls uninjected with hormone.