THE EFFECT OF CASTRATION ON CYCLICALLY VARYING SEXUAL FUNCTIONS IN THE MALE RABBIT

Abstract

ABSTRACT One of the phenomena found to vary cyclically in adult male rabbits is the relative frequency of exfoliated cells from the urethral epithelium. Assuming that there is a hormonal effect on this periodicity, the authors have studied the relative frequency of different types of cells in urethral smears collected daily after orchidectomy. No cyclic variations in the frequency of these cells could be detected in the castrated buck. Moreover, the proportion between the different types of cells was profoundly changed. The results show that the frequency of these cells and their cyclic occurrence are regulated by the testicular hormones. However, the cyclic variation in body temperature described in a previous paper persisted after castration and has thus to be considered as independent of the testicular hormones.