Effect of antiandrogens upon the morphological development of gubernaculum and the testicular descent in rats / 대한비뇨기과학회지

ABSTRACT

We evaluated the effect of antiandrogens on both fetal and adult rats, noting especially the morphological changes in the gubernaculum and testicular descent. Two antiandrogens, flutamide and 5a-reductase inhibitor 4-methyl-4-aza-5-pregnane-3-one-20[s] carboxylate (4-MAPC) produce gross and histological changes in the gubernaculum, as well as having an effect on testicular descent. While the gubernacula of controls were like full water-drop at day 20 of gestation. the gubernacula of fetuses treated with flutamide were thin and elliptical and the gubernacula of fetuses treated with 4-MAPC were thin and elliptical or like small water-drop. The position of the gubernaculum was near the bladder neck and lower border of pelvic cavity, regardless of the antiandrogen treatment. But, the degree of invagination of gubernaculum into abdominal wall tended to be less in fetuses treated with either antiandrogen. The muscular layer of gubernaculum treated with either anti-androgen tended to be thinner than controls. In adult rats treated from embryo to adult with flutamide, atrophy of the sex accessory glands and hypospadias were occurred and the scrotums were bifid or undeveloped on one side which the testis remained in the abdomen. We feel that flutamide and 4-MAPC cannot interfere with trans-abdominal testicular descent, but can induce the morphological changes in gubernaculum with failure of the trans-inguinal testicular descent. Also, it would be suggested that the gubernaculum has not Wolffian duct like testosterone dependency shown in differentiation of epididymis, vas deferens and seminal vesicle, because of the presence of the effect of both flutamide and 4-MAPC on gubernaculum.