Males castrated

Xanthine oxidase (EC 1.2.3.2) catalyzes the irreversible oxidation of hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid. Recently, we have shown that rat liver xanthine oxidase enzyme activity is, in part, dependent on both age-and sex-specific differences. Immaturity in both sexes, adult females and pubertal male castrates demonstrate a basal or feminine pattern of enzyme activity. Androgen is required in the pubescent period for the full expression of hepatic xanthine oxidase activity in the adult male. The effect of androgen exposure on hepatic enzyme activity, however, remains speculative. 

Mutton from male, castrated and female animals not older than 2 years. The meat of older animals is called sheep meat. 

The adult male prostate contains abundant acid phosphatase which it secretes into the semen. The production of this enzyme is governed by the circulating levels of androgenic hormones. Castration or estrogen administration markedly reduces the prostatic urinary acid phosphatase of males. Other organs such as the liver, kidney, spleen, red cells and platelets also contain significant amounts of acid phosphatase. 

ISHIMI A, YOSHIDA M, MAKIMOTO S, WU J, CHIBA H, WANG X, TAKEDA K and MIYAURA C (2002) Genistein, a soybean isoflavone, affects bone marrow lymphopoiesis and prevents bone loss in castrated male. Bone 31, 180-185. 

Hormonal influences may be limited to sexually relevant cues, since not all scent marks are socially relevant in all situations (Petrulis et al., 1995 and 1997). Chemoinvestigation by male hamsters of the female-indicator compound DMDS was independent of T. and did not differ from that of females. In contrast, the frequency of chemoinvestigation by castrates to vaginal secretion (containing DMDS) was enhanced by T. intact males investigated FHVS five times more than they do the females. 

Fig. 7.11 Inhibitory effect of alpha-Male urine on plasma Testosterone [T. ng/ml]. Exposure to urinary fractions in isolated (subordinate) male Mouse lemurs (N = 10) vs. castrate/adrenalectomised Ss, p < 0.001 vs. control (from Perret, 1995).

Haug M. and Brain P. (1978). Attack directed by groups of castrated male mice towards lactating and non-lactating intruders a urine-dependent phenomenon. Physiol Behav 21, 549-552. 

Parrott R. (1978). Courtship and copulation in pre-pubertally castrated male sheep (wethers) treated with 17a-estradiol, aromatisable androgens or DHT. Horn Behav 11, 20-27. 

The difference in sensory quality between females and castrated males is not consistent over several studies. Enfalt et al. (1997) and Jonsall et al. (2001) found that loins from castrated males scored higher for tenderness and juiciness than loins from females. In contrast, Jonsall et al. (2000) found no sensory effect of sex on loins and the same working group detected in a further investigation that loin from gilts scored higher for juiciness and lower for off-flavour than loin from castrated males. Obviously, the effect of sex on sensorial quality is of minor relevance and can be overruled by other effects. 

Fig. 4.3 Behavioral bioassay by using a felinine derivative. Felinine purified from cat urine by HPLC was dissolved in water at a concentration of lOmg/ml, and 200 pi of the solution was stored in a 1.5-ml eppendorf tube at room temperature for 5 days. GC-MS analysis detected 3-mercapto-3-methyl-l-butanol in the headspace gas of the tube. The cat (6-year-old castrated male) was able to sniff the opening of the tube, but not contact the felinine solution. The cat sniffed 3-mercapto-3-methyl-l-butanol with considerable interest (18s and 25s) and then licked his lips five times (37 s)...

Spironello-Vella, E. and deCatanzaro, D. (2001) Novel male mice show gradual decline in the capacity to disrupt early pregnancy and in urinary excretion of testosterone and 17 beta-estradiol during the weeks immediately following castration. Horm. Metab. Res. 33, 681-686. 

Doty, R.L. and Ferguson-Segall, M. (1989) Influence of adult castration on the olfactory sensitivity of the male rat a signal detection analysis. Behav. Neurosci. 103, 691-694. 

High concentrations of radioactivity were observed in body fat and livers of rats, mice, and squirrel monkeys given oral doses of 60 mg/kg " C-labeled chloroform (Brown et al. 1974a). The maximum levels of radioactivity in the blood appeared within 1 hour and were 3 pg equivalents chloroform/mL for mice and 10 pg equivalents chloroform/mL for monkeys, which represented -0.35 and 1%, respectively, of the total radioactivity. In monkeys, bile concentrations peaked within 6 hours. The distribution of radioactively labeled chloroform was studied in three strains of mice (Taylor et al. 1974). No strain-related differences were observed however, higher levels of radioactivity were found in the renal cortex of males and in the liver of females. The renal binding of radioactive metabolites may have been altered by variations in the testosterone levels as a result of hormonal pretreatment in females or castration in males. Sex-linked differences in chloroform distribution were not observed in rats or monkeys (Brown et al. 1974a). Chloroform accumulates in the adipose tissue of rats after oral exposure of intermediate duration (Pfaffenberger et al. 1980). 

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