Direct effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on pubertal rat seminal vesicle.
Pubertal male Wistar rats were submitted to bilateral castration and killed 7 or 14 days later; an additional group of castrated rats was submitted to ultrasound stimulation of the ventral region lying above the accessory sex glands, for 20 min a day from the 7th to the 14th day postcastration. Control intact rats were age-matched to the different treated groups. Seminal vesicle growth and secretory activity were investigated on the basis of weight and fructose content, respectively. A progressive fall in seminal vesicle weight was observed over a period of 7 (83% decrease) to 14 (92% decrease) days following castration; ultrasound treatment beginning on the 7th day prevented this additional weight reduction. Castration caused also a marked decrease (50-60%) in the fructose content of the seminal vesicle and the ultrasound energy promoted a partial recovery of the secretory activity of the gland. The results revealed a direct ultrasound stimulation of the seminal vesicle secretory activity in pubertal rats deprived of testicular androgens.
Haddad
S
S
Dental School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Petenusci
S O
SO
Carvalho
T L
TL
D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012669:Seminal Vesicles; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D014465:Ultrasonics