EFFECTS OF TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE ON THE SEMINAL VESICLES OF THE RAT

Abstract

In normal development of seminal vesicles of the rat, it was found that increase in dry wt. of the secretion-free gland was a linear function of body wt. in animals weighing approx. 150 g. or more. Composition of seminal vesicle secretion on a percentage basis was as follows: 25.9 dry wt.; 13.6 N; 1.6 ash; 0.44 nonprotein N; and 0.35 total reducing substances. This secretion contained no lipid. Castration caused the wt. of the seminal vesicles to decrease 73% after 20 days. The catheptic activity of these glands changed little during the first 3 days after castration; however, this activity gradually decreased to 0.9 of a unit after 24 days, in contrast to 2.8 units at time of castration. The total N content/gland decreased 74% by the 20th day after castration. Activities of the alkaline and acid phosphatases/gland decreased 81 and 65%, respectively. The QO2 of seminal vesicle tissue was not altered by castration. Injn. of testosterone propionate (500 [mu]g./day) into castrate rats for 20 days resulted in the following increases/gland: wet wt., 48 to 525 mg.; N, 0.2 to 7.3 mg.; secretion, 0 to 1322 mg.; alkaline phosphatase, 1.3 to 62.8 units; and acid phosphatase, 0.1 to 11.5 units. Catheptic activity of rats injd. over a 10 day period changed from 0.9 to 4.5 units. The QO2 of rat seminal-vesicle tissue was significantly greater 2 days after hormone treatment than that of castrates. However, this rise decreased after this time and by 20 days of treatment there was no significant difference between the QO2 of seminal vesicle tissue of injd. and uninjd. castrates.