Postnatal Development of the Testis in the Mongolian Gerbil, <I>Meriones unguiculatus</I>

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  • NINOMIYA Hiroyoshi
    <I>Department of Laboratory Animal Science School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University</I>
  • NAKAMURA Tsunenori
    <I>Department of Laboratory Animal Science School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University</I>

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • スナネズミ (Mongolian gerbil) 精巣の生後発達と性成熟時期

Abstract

The testicular development in gerbils was studied over 16-week periods starting from birth. Testicular weight and seminiferous tubule diameter increased considerably between 1 and 11 weeks of age. At 16 weeks the testicular weight was about 540 mg. Spermatogenesis commenced at about 2 weeks when mitoses first appeared in spermatogonia. Spermatozoa appeared in a few of the seminif erous tubules by 7 weeks and consistently so in all of the tubules at 10 weeks. Epididymal spermatozoa appeared first in the cauda epididymis at 10 weeks and were consistently present at 12 weeks. Formation of mature Leydig cells with a grouped perivascular arrangement appeared by 3 weeks and continuously so thereafter. From these results, it is evident that the male Mongolian gerbil is almost sexually matured by 10 to 12 weeks of age.

Journal

  • Experimental Animals

    Experimental Animals 36 (1), 65-72, 1987

    Japanese Association for Laboratory Animal Science

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