Metabolic control mechanisms in mammalian systems. IV. Androgenic induction of hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in rat seminal vesicles

The hormonal control of hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities was investigated in seminal vesicles of the orchidectomized rat. Whereas castration produced marked decreases in the activities of these vesicular enzymes, administration of testosterone propionate (100 μg/100 g) to castrated rats for 3 days increased hexokinase to 462% and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase to 843% of the control values. Time-course studies revealed that after a single injection of testosterone (5 mg/100 g), the activities of both hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were elevated significantly at 16 h and increased further during the 48-h period. The observed enzyme increases were inhibited by the administration of 17β-estradiol to testosterone-treated rats, although this estrogen by itself exerted no significant effect. Actinomycin, cycloheximide, and ethionine effectively prevented the androgen-induced increases in vesicular enzyme activities observed 24 h after hormone injection. The data presented suggest that the increases in vesicular hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities induced by testosterone propionate represent new enzyme production involving stimulation of the synthesis of certain RNA species.