Vitamin Eの雄性白鼠性腺への影響についての実験的研究

Abstract

Wistar male rats were divided into four groups, namely, administration of a small amount of vitamin E, administration of a large amount of vitamin E combined with pantothenic acid, castration, and feeding with a vitamin E deficient diet ; and the experimental studies were conducted on urinary 17-ketosteroid (Zimmermann method), weight changes of each organ (all gonads, prostate, testes, adrenals, liver and spleen), state of growth, tissue respiration (old Warburg's method), pathohistological changes (H. E. and azan stain) and histochemistry (alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, steroid 313-ol-dehydrogenase). The following results were obtained. 1) Upon administration of a small amount of vitamin E, urinary 17-KS excretion increased in young rats and markedly increased in mature fats. The increase was further stimulated by administration of a large amount of vitamin E, but the combined use of pantothenic acid gave an inhibitory effect. 2) In castrated group and the group kept on vitamin E deficient diet, urinary 17-KS excretion was lower than in the control group. Administration of vitamin E in castrated group gave rise to sustained level of higher excretion of 17-KS far exceeding the control level. 3) Weight of all gonads, testes, prostate, liver, and spleen increased 5 weeks af t e r vitamin E administration, while adrenal weight showed a tendency towards decrease followed by a slight increase. 4) The rate of increase of body weight in young rats after 4 weeks followed the ascending order of controls, vitamin E administration, castration, castration and combined use of vitamin E. 5) V itamin E administration inhibited the oxygen consumption in testes and adrenals, stimulated it in the prostate, and tended to inhibit it in the liver and kidney. 6) Upon feeding with vitamin E deficient diet, a marked de c rease of spermatogenic cells, disturbance of spermatogenesis, and decrease in alkaline phosphatase of spermatogenic cells were noted, while administration of a large amount of vitamin E caused a slight decrease of mature spermatozoa. Feeding with vitamin E deficient diet caused an atrophy of the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex with decrease of alkaline phosphatase and steroid 3frol-dehydrogenase, while administration of a large amount of vitamin E resulted in hypertrophy of zona fasciculata and reticular layer with elevation of alkaline phosphatase and steroid 3, 8-ol-dehydrogenase activities. Vitamin E deficient diet caused atrophy, degeneration and necrosis of the liver cells, while administration of a large amount of it resulted in hypertrophy of liver cells and picture of hyperfunction of the nuclei, followed by mild degenerative changes. The prostate showed a mild atrophy upon feeding with vitamin E deficient diet and mild atrophy with administration of a large amount of it. In summary, vitam in E stimulated the function of adrenals and liver in male rat, and influenced the function of testes slightly via the pituitary or pituitary-adrenal system. Deficiency of vitamin E gave rise to definite disturbance in the testes and adrenals. Combined use of pantothenic acid with vitamin E inhibited the activating action of vitamin E on gnads.