424 



PHYSIOLOGY OF GONADS 



tomized-castrated rats, ACTH was reported 

 ineffective in increasing ventral prostate 

 weight (van der Laan, 1953; Grayhack, 

 Bunce, Kearns and Scott, 1955) , but Lostroh 

 and Li (1957) obtained some growth of 

 ventral pi'ostates and seminal vesicles at 

 certain dosage levels. They emphasized that 

 dosage is a critical factor in demonstrating 

 the androgen-secreting ability of the ad- 

 renal cortex under ACTH stimulation. Ad- 

 ministration of ACTH to hypophysecto- 

 mized-castrated-adrenalectomized rats does 

 not affect the accessory glands. 



There has been no general agreement on 

 the androgenicity of desoxycorticosterone 

 on the accessory glands (see reviews by 

 Parkes, 1945 and by Courrier, Baclesse and 

 Marois, 1953). Lostroh and Li (1957) re- 

 ported that ll-desoxy-17-hydroxy-corticos- 

 terone and 11-dehydro-corticosterone dis- 

 played an androgenic activity equivalent to 

 4 fxg. of testosterone propionate on the ven- 

 tral prostates and seminal vesicles of hy- 

 pophysectomized-castrated adult rats. Cor- 

 ticosterone, cortisone, and hydrocortisone 

 were ineffective. Grayhack, Bunce, Kearns 

 and Scott (1955) found cortisone ineffective 

 on the weight of ventral prostates in hy- 

 pophysectomized castrates. In the field vole 

 (Microtus arvalis P.), Delost (1956) pro- 

 duced effects on the ventral prostate by 

 cortisone administration. 



3. Ovarian Androgens 



It has long been known that mammalian 

 ovaries can secrete androgenic hormones 

 which have virilizing effects in females. Dis- 

 cussion of the evidence for androgenic ac- 

 tivity of the ovary has been presented by 

 Ponse (1948) and Parkes (1950). More re- 

 cently the subject has been extensively re- 

 viewed (Ponse, 19541), 1955). Much of the 

 interest in ovarian androgens in the rodent 

 has centered on the question of their site of 

 origin in the ovary and the effects of tem- 

 perature and gonadotrophin administration 

 on androgen production (see reviews, and 

 Chapter 7 by Young) . However, the use of 

 male accessory glands as bio-indicators for 

 ovarian androgen has contributed to our 

 knowledge of the responsiveness of the 

 glands. 



Methods for approaching this problem in- 

 clude transplantation of ovaries into vai'i- 



ous sites in castrated male rats and mice; 

 ])lacing ovarian autotransplants into the 

 ears of females ; transplantation of male ac- 

 cessory glands into females; and observa- 

 tions of prostate glands in females of the 

 so-called female prostate strains of rats. 

 The use of such females as hosts for grafts 

 of male prostatic tissue has permitted a di- 

 rect comparison of responsiveness in these 

 homologous glands. 



The first observations that ovarian grafts 

 maintain normal prostates and seminal ves- 

 icles in castrated males w^ere made in guinea 

 pigs (Lipschiitz, 1932) and mice (de Jongh 

 and Korteweg, 1935). Hill (1937) trans- 

 planted ovaries into the ears of castrated 

 male mice and obtained stimulation of the 

 prostate and seminal vesicles. Deanesly 

 ( 1938) reported similar findings in rats. 

 Local effects from ovaries grafted into sem- 

 inal vesicles of castrated rats w^ere shown 

 by Katsh (1950). Takewaki (1953) also 

 found local stimulating effects on seminal 

 vesicles when rat ovaries and seminal ves- 

 icles were transplanted close together into 

 the spleens of gonadectomized males and 

 females. 



In experiments in which ventral prostates 

 and seminal vesicles were transplanted sub- 

 cutaneously into adult female rats (Price, 

 1941, 1942) it was sliown that the ventral 

 prostate is well maintained in virgin fe- 

 males (Fig. 6.46) and highly stimulated 

 during jiregnancy and lactation in the host. 

 It is comi)letely retrogressed in spayed fe- 

 males. Seminal vesicle grafts, however, are 

 stimulated only rarely. This occurs only in 

 females that have littered repeatedly and 

 have been lactating for long periods. This 

 indicates that the threshold of response of 

 the ventral prostate to ovarian androgens 

 is lower than that of the seminal vesicles. 

 Evidence of functional stimulation with 

 production of fructose and/or citric acid 

 was obtained in coagulating glands, and 

 ventral, lateral, and dorsal prostates trans- 

 ])lanted into female rats in which the ova- 

 ries were stimulated by gonadotrophin 

 treatment (Price, Mann and Lutwak- 

 Mann, 1955). It may be assumed that the 

 effects were attributable to ovarian andro- 

 gens since ventral prostate grafts in spayed 

 females (Greene and Burrill, 1939) are not 

 stimulated histologicallv when gonado- 



