HORMONAL INFLUENCES ON THE CARBONIC ANHYDRASE CONCENTRATION IN THE ACCESSORY REPRODUCTIVE TRACTS OF THE RAT1

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Abstract
The effects of sex hormones on the carbonic anhydrase activity of the rat accessory organs of reproduction were studied. Ovariectomy causes a marked increase in enzyme concentration, but does not change the total enzyme content of the uteri, indicating that the normal amount of the enzyme was maintained in uteri atrophied by ovariectomy. Estradiol produces marked decreases of the uterine enzyme concentration of ovariectomized rats, the extent of which depends upon the dosage. When progesterone is injected along with estradiol, it partially inhibits the effect of estradiol on the uterine enzyme of spayed rats, but progesterone by itself has no effect at all on the concentration of uterine enzyme. Eight and fifteen days after castration, the enzyme concentration is markedly increased in the ventral prostates of adult rats but is not changed in the seminal vesicles; sixty-five days after castration, the concentration is decreased in both tissues. Also, in immature rats, castration produces in 10 days a marked increase of the enzyme concentration in the ventral prostates but no change of enzyme concentration in the seminal vesicles. Testosterone injected into immature castrated rats increases the enzyme concentration of the seminal vesicles and decreases that of the ventral prostates. Estradiol in immature normal rats decreases the enzyme concentration of the seminal vesicles and increases that of the ventral prostates. When administered with testosterone, estradiol enhances the effect of testosterone on tissue weights, but does not modify the effect of testosterone on the enzyme concentrations. A large dosage of progesterone (30 mg. per rat) has a slight ability to increase the enzyme concentrations of both tissues of immature male rats. Cortisone in a total dose per rat of 1.2 mg. has no significant effect on the enzyme activity in either tissue. The above results suggest that the carbonic anhydrase concentrations in the uteri, seminal vesicles and ventral prostates of rats are under the control of sex hormones.