Abstract
SUMMARY The weight of the accessory sex glands, and the citrate and nucleic acid content of the ventral prostate (VP) glands, were examined in animals which had been adrenalectomized 30 days previously and in intact control rats. Adrenalectomy greatly reduced the citrate content, but did not affect the nucleic acid content of the VP. It was concluded that the adrenals stimulated prostatic function rather than growth. The concentration of radioactivity in the accessory sex glands of adrenalectomized and/or castrated animals after the injection of [3H]testosterone was compared with that in sham-operated controls. Radioactivity was related to the DNA content of the VP of the four groups. It was concluded that adrenalectomy facilitated the uptake and/or retention of androgen. [3H]Corticosterone was not retained by any of the accessory sex glands of animals adrenalectomized and castrated 2 days previously. It seems unlikely that the glands should be considered 'target organs' for corticosterone in the accepted sense of the term, but it is suggested that corticosteroids may help to maintain the balance between differentiation and growth in the VP by influencing the metabolism of androgens by the prostate gland.
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