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THE EFFECT OF SEX HORMONES UPON THE INOSITOL CONCENTRATION OF THE RAT SEMINAL VESICLE

The semen of mammals is exceedingly rich in myo-inositol (Mann, 1951, 1964; Nixon, 1952, 1964; Hartree, 1957), much of which is in the contribution made by the seminal vesicles. It has been suggested by Eisenberg & Bolden (1964) that the seminal vesicles of the rat are sites of inositol storage, whereas the testes are the main sites of synthesis. However, Imai (1964) demonstrated that slices of rat seminal vesicle could synthesize inositol from glucose. Since the activity of the seminal vesicle is governed by its hormonal environment (Moore, Hughes & Gallagher, 1930), it was of interest to examine the influence of hormones upon the inositol concentration of the organ and its secretion.

The animals used were adult, albino rats and immature animals of 4 to 5 weeks of age. Gross castration was performed under ether anaesthesia