Abstract
Summary
When testicular tissue was implanted into the immature rat so that its venous drainage passed through the liver, there was a lack of androgenic stimulation evident in the castrate condition of the penis, prostate and seminal vesicles after a period of one to 2 months. When the testicular tissue was implanted subcutaneously, some androgenic effect on the penis and accessories was obtained. Interstitial cells in varying numbers were present in all grafts. This finding indicates probable endocrine function by the implanted tissue. It is tentatively concluded that the lack of androgenic stimulation in animals with intra-mesenteric implants of testicular tissue is due to inactivation of testicular androgens by the liver. This is in agreement with similar experiments using implanted crystals of testosterone propionate and methyl testosterone. 5 , 6
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