ACCESSORY MAMMALIAN REPRODUCTIVE GLANDS 



415 



Fig. 6.39. Mouse seminal vesicle, normal male. Electronmierograph X 4200; osmic acid 

 fixation with sucrose. Epithelial cells showing basal and lateral ergastoplasmic channels and 

 membranes, and supranuclear \-psicles containing .secretory granules. (From H. W. Deane 

 and K. R. Porter, unpubli.shed.) 



coin-oliitcd (Fig. 6.40). The relative number 

 of riboniicleoprotein particles is somewhat 

 leduced, secretory granules are less acido- 

 philic, and the cytoplasm is only weakly 

 basophilic (Fig. 6.45). Secretion granules 

 were still visible by electron microscopy 10 

 days after castration but they were not 

 visible at 25 days (Fujita, 1959) . 



Atkinson (1948) found that alkaline phos- 

 phatase activity disappears almost com- 

 pletely from the stroma within 10 days, but 

 Bern, Alfert and Blair (1957) observed re- 

 tention in the fibromuscular tissue. 



Martins and Rocha (1929) reported com- 

 plete prevention of castration effects by in- 

 jection of extracts of bull or goat testes. 

 The epithelium of castrates responds read- 

 ily to androgens. A single dose of 16 /x,g. of 

 testosterone propionate in 30-day castrates 

 resulted in increased mitotic activity be- 

 ginning 30 to 36 hours after treatment and 



reached a peak at 42 to 48 hours (Allen, 

 1958). Administration of testosterone to 

 castrates completely restored the fine 

 structure to normal (Fujita, 1959). Alka- 

 line phosphatase activity in the stroma 

 returned to normal within 10 days with tes- 

 tosterone propionate administration (At- 

 kinson, 1948). The same hormone given to 

 normal males for one week resulted in in- 

 creased cell height, more abundant and 

 acidophilic secretion and secretory gran- 

 ules, increased basophilia (Fig. 6.45), more 

 distended and convoluted ergastoplasmic 

 channels (Fig. 6.41), and a relative increase 

 in ribonucleoprotein particles (Deane and 

 Porter, 1959). 



Discussion. The secretory cells in the 

 epithelia of rat and mouse prostatic lobes 

 and seminal vesicles have many histologic 

 characteristics in common and some marked 

 dissimilarities. In light microscopy with 



