THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE-ORGANS IN EXPERIMENTAL CHAGAS-DISEASE .3. PLASMA TESTOSTERONE AND ACCESSORY SEX GLANDS IN THE ACUTE-PHASE OF THE DISEASE

Male Wistar rats were injected i.p. with 2 x 10(5) trypomastigotes of the Bolivia strain. Fifteen days later, few parasite nests were observ ed in the fibromuscular layer surrounding the seminal vesicle acini of chagasic animals and no parasites were detected in the testis and ven tral prostate. A significant decrease was observed in the absolute wei ght and fructose content of the seminal vesicle and ventral prostate o f chagasic rats, which also presented a sharp decrease in plasma testo sterone levels.