Histochemical studies of bovine seminal vesicles during postnatal development

The location of aldose and ketose reductases and of isocitric, succinic, malic and α-ketoglutaric dehydrogenases was studied by histochemical methods in the seminal vesicles of the bull, bull calf and castrated bulls.

The appearance of aldose and ketose reductase activity coincides with that of significant quantities of fructose collected from the accessory glands of calves of 5·5 months of age.

The enzymes of the Krebs' cycle, isocitric, succinic, malic and α-ketoglutaric dehydrogenases, could not be histochemically demonstrated in the seminal vesicles of bulls, bull calves and castrated young bulls.

The factors determining the high citric acid concentrations in bull seminal vesicles are discussed.

Sites of formation of fructose, citric acid and sialic acid in the accessory glands of the giant fruit bat, Pteropus giganteus giganteus (Brünnich)

The morphology of the male genital tract and the sites of formation of fructose, citric acid and sialic acid in the male accessory glands of the giant fruit bat, Pteropus giganteus giganteus are described. The seminal vesicle secretes only fructose while the prostate and ampullary glands secrete both fructose and citric acid. Cowper's glands secrete large amounts of sialic acid. However, considerable variations in content and concentration of these constituents are found within the group.

An autoradiographic study on the localization of androgen in the prostate gland and the seminal vesicles of the male rat

The distribution of radioactive material in the prostate gland and the seminal vesicles has been studied by autoradiography after intramuscular administration of [1,2-3H] testosterone in vivo to adult castrated male rats. Positive autoradiographs were obtained from 7½ min to 8 h after the administration. As early as after 15 min, there appeared to be a selective localization of radioactivity in the epithelial cells, with much of the labelling associated with the nuclei; the stromal labelling was markedly less. This picture was even more significant ½, 1 and 2 h after the injection, when the autoradiographs demonstrated a preferential labelling of the nuclei of the epithelial cells. A distinct labelling of the epithelial cells was also found 8 h after the injection. The same qualitative pattern of distribution of radioactivity was seen in the four prostatic lobes and the seminal vesicles. No significant labelling of the secretions in the glandular lumina was observed.

1,2-3H-testosterone: distribution and uptake in neural and genital tissues of intact male, castrate male and female rats

This report deals with a comparative study of the uptake of radioactivity in the genital, neural and other tissues of intact male, castrate male and female rats after constant infusion of radiochemically pure 1,2-3H-testosterone. Castration has been found to have a marked effect in enhancing the uptake of radioactivity in the different tissues particularly liver and kidney which have a metabolic and excretory role.

Prostate and seminal vesicles, on the other hand, did not show any difference in uptake in intact and castrate rats. The uptake of testosterone and its metabolites in the prostate of intact animals was 3.46 × 10−9 m. In experiments on subcellular localization of radioactivity after constant infusion of 1,2-3H-testosterone, it was found that prostate and seminal vesicle had heavy localisation in the nuclear and 105 000 × g soluble fraction while the major localisation of radioactivity in the case of nontarget tissues like liver, intestine, muscle etc. was in the soluble fraction. Castration caused a higher uptake of radioactivity in the anterior pituitary gland, anterior and middle hypothalamus also, which could be explained on the basis of the negative feedback of the hormone. An interesting feature of the uptake of testosterone and its metabolites in the female rat was the high uptake in the anterior pituitary gland, and the various parts of the hypothalamus. These findings are discussed in light of information available on the action and feedback of sex hormones.

Aggression in adult mice: modification by neonatal injections of gonadal hormones

Incidence of spontaneous aggression in adult male mice given a single injection of estradiol benzoate (0.4 milligram) when they were 3 days old was less than that of controls injected with oil. Aggressiveness was increased among adult females injected with either estradiol or testosterone propionate (1 milligram) at the same age. The increased aggressiveness noted among females given androgen was further documented during subsequent mating tests, when these females often attacked, wounded, and, in one case, killed naive males.

Changes in the sialic acid content of the accessory glands of the male rat

Sialic acid is secreted by the testis, epididymis, ductus deferens and Cowper's gland of the male albino rat. Castration results in a considerable reduction in the sialic acid content of these organs. Androgen administration to castrated rats elevates the sialic acid levels in Cowper's gland to control values, while that of the other organs is only partially restored. This is probably due to the presence of spermatozoa in the epididymis in the control animals and is supported by the decreased values of sialic acid in animals with ligatures. The physiological integrity of the epididymal canal and Cowper's gland is thus dependent on the circulating levels of androgen.