ABSTRACT
The developing urogenital complex of the fetal mouse was studied by means of silver impregnation and electron microscopy. These studies showed that: 1) the mesonephric field is innervated during prenatal stages (Wolffian nerve); 2) nerve penetration precedes the differentiation of the gonads and related ducts; and 3) the Wolffian nerve arises during the earliest stages from the first pair of abdominal rami communicantes. The identity between the fetal Wolffian nerve and the nerve of the suspensory ligament (higher pathway) of the adult is discussed.
Subject(s)
Gonads/innervation , Mesonephros/innervation , Animals , Cell Differentiation , Female , Gonads/embryology , Ligaments/innervation , Male , Mice , Morphogenesis , Mullerian Ducts/innervation , Oogenesis , Spermatogenesis , Wolffian Ducts/innervationABSTRACT
Prenatal exposure of male or female mice to diethylstilbestrol (DES) or testosterone propionate (TP) from days 9 to 16 of gestation produces pseudohermaphrodites with dual reproductive tracts. In these animals, the hypogastric ganglion which is thought to innervate the internal genitalia was examined at birth. The number of ganglion cells was significantly larger in prenatally DES-exposed male and TP-exposed female mice than that of controls. These results suggest that the number of hypogastric ganglion cells is dependent on the number of the target organs for innervation.
