Sex hormones were administered to adult male rats ( Sprague-Dawley inbred line) with in tact gonads and with castration to study their influences on the morghological changes and acid phosphatase activities of the prostate.
1. Testosterone administered to normal and castrated rats caused marked increase in the wel gets of the prostates, while both estrogen administration and castration brought marked de cline of the prostatic weight.
2. Testosterone administration caused marked proliferation of the prostate, such as cystic hyperplasia and epithelial flattening of the acini, while estradiol, atrophy of the prostate. Such atrophy was also observed in castrated rats, but with the administration of testosterone the prostate resumed normal histologic picture.
3. The activities of acid phosphatase were highly pronounced histochemically in the ventral lobe of the prostate. These activities were dependent on sex hormones: decrease by estrogen and increase by testosterone. In castrated animals, the activities of the enzyme were almost negligeble, but with treatment of testosterone those activities resumed normal levels.
4. Estrogen administered to normal rats caused marked atrophy of the testis; decrease in the weight of the gland, atrophy of the germinal epithelium and decreased spermatogenesis.
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