Effects of male accessory sex gland secretions on early embryonic development in the golden hamster.
The ventral prostates, dorsolateral prostates, coagulating glands, seminal vesicles and/or ampullary glands were bilaterally removed from adult male hamsters. Removal of these glands did not affect the fertilization rate and cleavage of the embryos at 48 h post coitum (p.c.). Air-dried preparations of the embryos showed a delay in cleavage at 72 h p.c. and a significant number of degenerated embryos was also found in females mated with males from which all the male accessory sex glands had been removed. A significant implantation loss was also observed at 122 h p.c. The results suggest that, in the golden hamster, removal of the male accessory sex gland causes a slower cleavage rate in embryonic development and a significant embryonic loss during pregnancy.
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Anatomy Department, Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University.
Chen
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HQ
Chow
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PH
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D006224:Cricetinae; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus