Masculinizing effect of testes on developing rat ovaries in organ culture.
Masculinizing effect of testes on developing rat ovaries was shown in vitro by culturing testes from 17.5-day-old fetuses in contact with female genital tracts from 14.5-day-old rat fetuses. The testes induced the differentiation of epithelial cells staining for cytokeratin in the ovarian blastema. These cells formed seminiferous cord-like structures delineated by a basement membrane, in a way that resembles early stages of testicular organogenesis. In addition to the morphological masculinization, functional masculinization was obtained since the ovaries produced the anti-Müllerian hormone as shown by bioassay and immunohistochemical procedures. Across a distance, testes from 17.5-day-old fetuses failed to induce masculinization. These results suggest that testes from 17.5-day-old fetuses produce a locally diffusible factor interfering with the development and the differentiation of the fetal ovaries. The possibility that the anti-Müllerian hormone secreted by the testes may be the factor involved is discussed comparing these results with those obtained with testes from different stages and with bibliographic data.
Charpentier
G
G
Laboratoire de Physiologie du Développement, Collège de France, Paris.
Magre
S
S
D000818:Animals; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009095:Mullerian Ducts; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010053:Ovary / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000166:cytology; D013735:Testicular Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology*
D006023:Glycoproteins; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D013735:Testicular Hormones; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone