[A morphological study with serial histological slices on the normal and abnormal gubernacula in newborn male mice].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the feasibility of serial slices microscopic histological investigation for the elaborate evaluation of reproductive system malformations.


METHODS
Newborn male mice prenatally exposed to different doses of subcutaneously given diethylstilbestrol (DES) from gestational day 9 to 17 were treated by fixing parts of the abdomen in situ and setting them to transected serial slices. All the slices were stained, studied under the microscope and serially recorded by software. The gubernaculum was morphologically analyzed and its location and size were measured.


RESULTS
Morphologically, the gubernaculum could be identified clearly, its structure inhomogeneous from proximal to distal and dissymmetric from right to left. The environmental estrogen produced different effects on the morphology of the gubernaculum in different parts and most obviously affected its length.


CONCLUSIONS
Prenatal exposure to environmental estrogen has evident and general effects on the gubernacular development of newborn male mice. The morphological study with serial histological slices gives a precise and systematic evaluation of genital malformations.
Liu
Qiang
Q
Department of Pedicatic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China.
Jiang
Xue-Wu
XW
Chen
Zhong-Xian
ZX
Li
Jian-Hong
JH
Wang
Guang-Huan
GH
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects; D014564:Urogenital Abnormalities / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*
D002273:Carcinogens; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol