Abstract
Summary
In sexually immature rats (wt 77 g) the seminal vesicles weighed 2.1 mg (dry wt0 and contained 0.3 mg total N and 0.1 mg lipid, whereas in sexually mature animals (wt 386 g) the glands weighed 394 mg with 59.5 mg N and 4.7 mg lipid. A diffuse cytoplasmic sudanophilia was observed in the columnar epithelium of the seminal vesicles of sexually mature males. Following castration there was a marked accumulation of lipid in the basal end of the cuboidal cells. The administration of testosterone propionate caused the diffuse sudanophilia to appear. Phospholipid was observed in the secretory granules. A marked reduction in phospholipid reaction was observed following gonadectomy due to the disappearance of the granules. A marked increase in the granules and associated phospholipid reaction was noted following hormone replacement.
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