DIRECT EFFECT OF LOW-INTENSITY PULSED ULTRASOUND ON PUBERTAL RAT SEMINAL-VESICLE

Pubertal male Wistar rats were submitted to bilateral castration and k illed 7 or 14 days later; ai? additional group of castrated rats was s ubmitted to ultrasound stimulation of the ventral region lying above t he accessory sex glands, for 20 min a days from the 7th to the 14th da ys postcastration. Control Intact mts were age-matched to the differen t treated groups. Seminal vesicle growth and secretory activity were i nvestigated on the basis of weight and fructose content, respectively. A progressive fall in seminal vesicle weight was observed over a peri od of 7 (83% decrease) to 14 (92% decrease) days following castration; ultrasound treatment beginning on the 7th day prevented this addition al weight reduction. Castration caused also a marked decrease (50-60%) in the fructose content of the seminal vesicle and the ultrasound ene rgy promoted a partial recovery of the the secretory activity of the t he gland. The results revealed a direct ultrasound stimulation of the seminal vesicle secretory activity in pubertal rats deprived of testic ular androgens.