A. Ago et al., MORPHOLOGICAL-STUDIES ON PREPUTIAL GLAND OF MICE .1. LIGHT AND TRANSMISSION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF PREPUTIAL GLAND IN MALE-MICE, Jikken Dobutsu, 43(5), 1995, pp. 645-649
Male BALB/c mice isolated after weaning were housed two mice per cage
at the age of 10 weeks. After 1 week, each pair of mice was observed f
or social dominance, and compared with control mice kept in isolation.
The preputial gland in the socially dominant animal was histologicall
y examined. The preputial gland consisted of a congregation of branche
d simple tubuloacinar gland and typical holocrine secretion on morphol
ogical examination. Acinar cells in the dominant animals were large, m
ultiplicative and hypertrophic compared with those of controls and sub
ordinates. Dominant animals required copious secretion for attainment
and maintenance of a,dominant social position. Acinar cells of subordi
nates were very small, flattened and atrophied because fatty secretion
particles filled the luminal duct. These accumulated secretion partic
les pressed the acinar cells and caused degeneration. Not only luminal
acinar cells but also central acinar cells and some basal. acinar cel
ls were degenerated. Electron micrographs showed that basal acinar cel
ls in dominant animals contained many mitochondria, agranular endoplas
mic reticulum and free ribosomes in the cytoplasm, whereas those of su
bordinates contained myelin bodies and lipid droplets. Therefore, it i
s suggested that the synthesis of secretion particles in acinar cells
of subordinates hardly occurred.