Androgen-induced cell proliferation and differentiation in the seminal vesicle and coagulating gland of the castrated mouse.

Abstract

SUMMARY Castrated male mice were injected with 250 μg testosterone propionate on 3 consecutive days. With the third injection, 1 μCi tritiated thymidine/g body weight was given intraperitoneally. A pulse-chase analysis in the seminal vesicle and coagulating gland was performed during the next 50 h and labelling and mitotic indices were obtained. One hour after the injection of tritiated thymidine the labelling index was 19% in the seminal vesicle and 13% in the coagulating gland. The mitotic index was 1·7% in the seminal vesicle and 1·4% in the coagulating gland. The observed cell cycle (Tc) duration in the seminal vesicle was 25 h, and the duration of DNA synthesis (ts) was 9 h. The calculated duration of mitosis (tm) was 0·6 h, the presynthetic duration (tG1) was 14·2 h, and the postsynthetic duration (tG2) 1·2 h. Forty-eight hours after testosterone propionate the growth fraction was 0·62 and a decycling ratio of 0·8 was calculated. In the coagulating gland Tc was 52·0 h, ts 9·0 h, tm 1·0 h, tg1 41·0 h and tG2 1·0 h.