Abstract
Summary
Histochemical studies were conducted on effects of avitaminosis C on the reproductive tract of the male guinea pig, and an attempt was made to differentiate these changes from those which result from inanition in the presence of an adequate dietary intake of ascorbic acid. Results indicate that scurvy may cause an inability to utilize other essential dietary substances resulting in more severe cachexia than that noted in inanition controls. These studies suggest that changes in the cytochemistry of the Golgi apparatus are involved in spermatogenic arrest. Furthermore, as noted in this investigation, the relation of scurvy and/or inanition to reproductive physiology is indicated by altered carbohydrate metabolism in testes and seminal vesicles. These changes were more marked in scorbutic animals than in inanition controls.
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