Peirce E J, Breed W G
Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
J Anat. 1989 Feb;162:195-213.
The light microscopical structure of the male excurrent ducts and the distribution of spermatozoa were examined in two species of Australian rodents, the plains rat, Pseudomys australis, and the hopping mouse, Notomys alexis. In plains rats the microstructure of the ductus epididymidis and ductus deferens was similar to that of the common laboratory rodents, with the majority of the spermatozoa being found in the cauda epididymides. By contrast, in the hopping mouse, the structure of the cauda epididymidis differed significantly as the height of the epithelium and stereocilia did not decrease from the distal caput to the cauda region, and luminal diameter did not increase markedly along its length. In addition, few spermatozoa were stored in the cauda region of the tract, and as many as 60% were located in the ductus deferens, the distal portion of which displayed a highly infolded epithelium and underlying lamina propria. These differences in histological structure of the hopping mouse excurrent ducts presumably reflect divergence in function of the various regions of the tract. Although the functional implications of the present findings remain to be determined, this study demonstrates the considerable plasticity in the male excurrent ducts amongst the hydromyine rodents of Australia.
对两种澳大利亚啮齿动物——平原鼠（Pseudomys australis）和跳鼠（Notomys alexis）的雄性输出管的光学显微镜结构及精子分布进行了检查。在平原鼠中，附睾管和输精管的微观结构与常见实验啮齿动物相似，大部分精子存在于附睾尾部。相比之下，在跳鼠中，附睾尾部的结构有显著差异，因为从附睾头远端到尾部区域，上皮细胞和静纤毛的高度并未降低，管腔直径沿其长度也没有明显增加。此外，该管道尾部区域储存的精子很少，多达60%的精子位于输精管，输精管远端部分呈现出高度折叠的上皮细胞和下方的固有层。跳鼠输出管组织学结构的这些差异可能反映了该管道不同区域功能的差异。尽管本研究结果的功能意义尚待确定，但这项研究表明澳大利亚水鼠亚科啮齿动物雄性输出管具有相当大的可塑性。
