Differential effects of estrogen treatment on canine seminal plasma components.

In castrate dogs, complete androgen-dependent restoration of seminal plasma content of fluid, electrolytes, and protein was induced by testosterone treatment alone. In contrast, a combination of androgen and estrogen treatment selectively reduced only the androgen induced stimulation of the electrolyte and fluid components without altering the total amount of protein secreted. Spontaneous cystic prostatic hyperplasia was found to be characterized by a similar decrease in total fluid and electrolyte content without a concomitant decrease in the total amount of protein in the seminal plasma. These results suggest that prostatic protein secretion may be a process distinct from electrolyte-fluid transport because either estradiol treatment or the development of spontaneous cystic prostatic hyperplasia dissociates these two processes.