Reproductive Tract as Site of Synthesis and Secretion of Inositol in the Male Rat

Abstract

THE discovery of an active system in rat testis for synthesis of inositol has been reported recently¹. The possibility that spermatozoa are the cellular site of synthesis was considered, and epididymal sperm cells were therefore tested for synthetic ability; no significant formation of inositol was observed. Further tracing of the male reproductive tract showed that minces of epididymis and combined seminal vesicle, coagulating gland, and prostate were less than 1/100 as active as whole testis and less than 1/30 as active as testis homogenate in forming inositol from glucose-U-¹⁴C. Previous investigations¹ with tissue homogenates failed to elicit synthesis in rat brain, kidney, lung, liver, spleen, and lactating mammary gland ; a small synthesis of inositol has been demonstrated² in slices of rat brain, kidney, and liver.