1 8 The Biochemistry of Semen 



prostatic fluids of man and dog is shown in Fig. 5. In the human 

 secretion (Huggins, Scott and Heinen, 1942), the average values for 

 cations, expressed in m-equiv./l. water, are: sodium 156, potassium 

 30, and calcium 30; for anions: citrate 156, chloride 38, bicarbonate 

 8, and phosphate 1. In a pilocarpine-stimulated dog prostatic fluid 

 (Huggins, Masina, Eichelberger and Wharton, 1939) the base con- 



H-HCOs 



por 



Ca- 



CIT/" 

 H-HCOa 



mEQ./KG. WATER 



220 



200 



I80 



I60 



I40 



I20 



lOO 



80 



60 



40 



20 



MAN DOG 



Fig. 5. Diagram of osmotically active substances in prostatic fluid. 



(Huggins, 1947) 



sists of sodium 162, and potassium 5; the anions chloride 156, and 

 bicarbonate 1-7 m-equiv./l. In man, the prostatic secretion also 

 provides the main source of calcium; the so-called Niederland re- 

 action, which depends on the formation of characteristic needle- 

 shaped crystals in human semen heated with dilute sulphuric acid, 

 is probably due to calcium sulphate (Niederland, 1931, 1935; 

 Ziemke, 1931). 

 ^ Among the chemical peculiarities of the prostate gland is its 



