The Gross Morphometry and Histology of the Male Accessory Sex Glands in the Greater Cane Rat (Thryonomys swinderianus,Temminck)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

2 Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.

3 Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

Abstract

n this study, the gross morpho-metry and histology of the vesicular, the prostate and the bulbourethral glands were investigated in ten male greater cane rats (Thryonomys swin-derianusTemminck) bred and raised in captivity at Igbesa, in Ogun state, Nigeria. The results showed that the cranial lobes of the vesicular glands were divergent with branches and the caudal lobes opened separately into the urethra. The ampulla of the ductus deferens was absent. Most of the secretory cells in the bulbourethral gland have round, basally located nuclei with prominent nucleoli and poorly stained cytoplasm. The gross and the histological features of the prostate gland were similar to that of the rabbit and the giant rat. The morphometry revealed that there was no significant correlation between the weights of the accessory glands and the testes (prostate r2 = 0.05; vesicular r2 = 0.04; bulbourethral r2 = 0.03; p< 0.05), whereas there was a positive correlation between the weights of the accessory glands and the age of the animals (prostate r2 = 0.61; vesicular r2= 0.62; bulbourethral r2 = 0.54; p< 0.05). These findings showed that age was a factor in the full development of the accessory glands. This study provides baseline data that could be used for further research on the acce- ssory sex glands of the male cane rat.

Keywords

Journal of Veterinary Anatomy
Volume 2, Issue 2
October 2009
Pages 41-51

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