The Pubertal Increase in Response of Accessory Sex Organs to Steroid Hormones. ∗

Abstract

Summary and Conclusions

Experiments on the rat indicate that in prepubertal castrates ethinyl testosterone stimulates the seminal vesicles, prostates and coagulating glands more markedly than an equivalent dose of δ⁵-androstenediol, while the reverse is true in post-pubertal castrates. It appears that at puberty the sensitivity of the accessory sex organs increases only with regard to steroid compounds of a certain chemical structure. This fact must be kept in mind when the hormonal potency of various testoid substances is to be compared.