Hormonal influences on the morphogenesis of the preputial gland of embryonic mice.

Fetal preputial glands from 14- to 17-day old mouse embryos undergo comparable growth, branching, and display similar degrees of cytodifferentiation when cultured in vitro on medium lacking hormones, on this medium in the presence of either of the fetal gondas, and on medium supplemented with testosterone dipropionate. Conversely, morphogenesis of these analgen is markedly suppressed by estrogen and an anti-androgen, Cyproterone acetate. These observations demonstrate that acquisition of androgen-sensitivity is a late event in the morphogenesis of the preputial gland and correlate with the developmental properties of preputial mesenchyme as demonstrated in earlier studies on the epithelio-mesenchymal interaction.