Novel male mice disrupt pregnancy despite removal of vesicular-coagulating and preputial glands

Exposure to novel males can disrupt intrauterine implantation of fertilized ova in inseminated female mice, an effect established to involve androgen-dependent male excretions. These experiments were designed to examine potential roles of vesicular and coagulating glands, independently or in conjunction with preputial glands. Inseminated females were randomly assigned to conditions of housing below (1) no males; (2) males with vesicular-coagulating gland removal; (3) males with preputial, vesicular, and coagulating gland removal; or (4) males subjected to sham surgery. Males with accessory glands removed disrupted pregnancy to the same extent as did sham-operated males. Long-term testosterone replacement permitted pregnancy disruption in castrated males with vesicular-coagulating and preputial glands removed. Fertility was not disrupted by preputialectomy, but half of the males without vesicular-coagulating glands could not inseminate females. We suggest that males' capacity to disrupt pregnancy could derive from androgen metabolism that is independent of actions on major accessory glands.