Effects of oestrogen treatment on testicular descent, inguinal closure and prostatic development in a male marsupial, Macropus eugenii

Abstract

This study reports the effect of oestrogen treatment on the development of the genital ducts, prostate gland, testicular descent and inguinal canal closure in male tammar wallaby young treated with oestrogen over four time spans during the first 25 days of pouch life (days 0-10, 10-15, 15-25 and 0-25) and sampled at day 50. In control males, the Müllerian ducts had regressed and the Wolffian ducts had developed into the vas deferens and epididymis. The prostate gland had formed epithelial buds extending from the ventral, lateral and posterior walls of the urethra. The testes were in the neck of the scrotum and the gubernaculum and processus vaginalis were present at the base of the scrotum. ..