The Effect of Testosterone on the Rat Penis and Accessory Sex Glands Following Castration

Choi, Seong; Rhew, Hyun Yul; Yoon, Jong Byung; Yeon, Su Kyeong

Abstract

Testosterone is required for the development and maintenance of the male accessory sex organs and their normal function. And it was reported that castration affect cells in the adult male rat accessory sex glands by induction of programmed cell death (apoptosis). So, in this study, the authors made an experiment to evaluate the effect of testosterone in the maure male rat penis and accessory sex glands following castration. Also, we utilized actinomycin D, a potent inhibitor of messenger and ribosomal RNA synthesis, in the experiment herein to assess the significance of regression process in the glands. Following are the changes in the serum testosterone level, the weight of the penis, ventral prostate and seminal vesicles and apoptosis occurrence of the control (castration, castration normal saline) and experimental (castration AD25, castration AD50) group of mature rats. 1. After castration, the control group and the experimental group showed decreased level of serum testosterone. 2. In the both groups, the weight of the penis, ventral prostate and seminal vesicles decreased gradually. 3. Compared to the control group, the castration AD25 did not show the inhibition of castration induced regression of penis and ventral prostate. However, castration AD50 showed the inhibition. 4 In the H-E staining and ApoTag in situ staining, the ventral prostate showed the most prominent apoptosis occurrence followed by the seminal vesicles and penis. These results suggest that after castration of the mature rat, due to testosterone deficiency, the weight of penis, ventral prostate and seminal vesicles decreased with the occurrence of apoptosis. Also, actinomycin D 50 micrometer seems to delay the regression process.