Male Reproductive System III

Ductus Deferens, Accessory Glands, Urethra, and Penis

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Cross-section of the canine spermatic cord. H-E stain.

The section includes the ductus deferens, mesoductus deferens and blood vessels, parietal and visceral layers of the tunica vaginalis, and cremaster muscle (striated skeletal muscle).

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Canine ductus deferens.

The tunica mucosa, tunica muscularis, and tunica serosa are shown.

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Canine ductus deferens.

Spermatozoa are present in the lumen.

The mucosa is lined by a pseudostratified columnar epithelium.

The tunica muscularis is a thick layer of smooth muscle.

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Orange:

Cross-section of the equine ductus deferens, H-E stain.

Notice the thick tunica muscularis.

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Equine ductus deferens.

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Equine ductus deferens.

The mucosa is thrown into folds which project into the lumen.

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Equine ductus deferens.

The mucosa is lined by a simple columnar epithelium.

Spermatozoa are present in the lumen

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Orange:

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Cross-section of ampulla of equine ductus deferens, H-E stain.

The ampulla is an enlargement of the ductus deferens before it empties into the urethra. (The dotted line indicates a missing part of the section).

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Ampulla of ductus deferens, equine.

The mucosa is characterized by the presence of tubuloalveolar glands.

The glands are filled with acidophilic secretory material.

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Ampulla of ductus deferens, equine.

The luminal surface is thrown into folds between which the ampullary glands open

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Ampullary glands.

Ampullary glands are tubuloalveolar glands lined by a simple columnar epithelium.

They contain acidophilic secretory material.

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Orange:

Ampulla of ductus deferens, equine.

The outer wall of the ampulla is provided with a layer of smooth muscle, the tunica muscularis, from which smooth muscle bundles penetrate the interior via the trabeculae.

Smooth muscle contraction during ejaculation causes the release of the secretion into the lumen

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Section of equine seminal vesicle, H-E stain.

The equine seminal vesicle is vesicular (bladder-like) and is provided with an inner glandular mucosa (seen A) and a thick outer muscular wall (seen in B).

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Mucosa of equine seminal vesicle.

The mucosal surface is thrown into folds.

Tubuloalveolar glands are located in the deeper part of the mucosa

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Equine seminal vesicle.

The vesicular glands are tubuloalveolar glands lined by a simple columnar epithelium.

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Cross-section of the canine prostate.

This section shows the prostatic body surrounding the urethra (center)

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Canine prostate gland.

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Canine prostatic urethra.

The prostatic urethra is lined by a transitional epithelium.

The lamina propria contains erectile tissue (represented by the venous sinuses which are empty and collapsed in this section) and tubuloalveolar glands.

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Canine prostatic urethra.

Observe again the transitional epithelium and the venous sinuses in the lamina propria.

A duct of the prostate gland is seen opening into the lumen of the urethra.

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Canine prostate gland.

The prostate gland is surrounded by a connective tissue capsule (left) from which connective tissue septa penetrate and subdivided the parenchyma into lobules.

The capsule and trabeculae also contain smooth muscle.

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Canine prostate gland.

The glandular tissue is composed of tubuloalveolar secretory units.

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Canine prostate gland.

The secretory tubules and alveoli are lined by a simple columnar epithelium.

Note the acidophilic apical portion of the secretory cells

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Section of the equine prostate gland.

The glandular tissue is tubuloalveolar and is separated by connective tissue septa into lobules

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Equine prostate gland.

The capsule and trabeculae also contain numerous smooth muscle fibers.

The tubuloalveolar secretory units are lined by a simple cuboidal epithelium

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Section of the feline bulbourethral gland, H-E stain.

The gland is surrounded by striated skeletal muscle (bulbocavernosus m.) and is divided into lobules

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Feline bulbourethral gland.

The glandular tissue is also tubuloalveolar in type and the secretory units are lined by a simple cuboidal epithelium.

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Section of equine bulbourethral gland, H-E stain.

Like the feline bulbourethral gland, the equine bulbourethral gland is also surrounded by skeletal muscle (bulbospongiosus m.) and is subdivided into lobules.

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Equine bulbourethral gland.

The glandular tissue is also composed of tubuloalveolar secretory units lined by simple cuboidal epithelium

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Cross-section of the equine pelvic urethra, H-E stain.

The section shows the lumen near the center

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Equine pelvic urethra.

The lumen is seen here at a slightly higher magnification.

The mucosa is thrown into folds and lined by transitional epithelium.

Erectile tissue is present in the lamina propria. (The venous sinuses present in the erectile tissue are collapsed in this specimen)

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Equine pelvic urethra.

Urethral glands, in addition to erectile tissue, are present in the lamina propria.

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Equine pelvic urethra, another view.

The mucosa is lined by transitional epithelium and contains erectile tissue in the lamina propria. (The erectile tissue contains collapsed venous sinuses in this figure)

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Equine pelvic urethra.

The thick tunica muscularis is seen at a higher magnification. It is composed of inner and outer layers of smooth muscle and an outer layer of circularly arranged striated skeletal muscle, the urethralis muscle.

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Orange:

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Cross-section of the canine pelvic urethra, H-E stain.

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Canine pelvic urethra.
The mucosa and a part of the muscular layer are shown in this figure.

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T. mucosa of canine urethra.

The mucosa is lined by a stratified cuboidal epithelium.

Erectile tissue (represented by collapsed venous sinuses in this slide) is present in the lamina propria

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T. muscularis of canine pelvic urethra.

The tunica muscularis contains smooth muscle in the inner layer and striated muscle in the outer layer

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Canine pelvic urethra.

The tunica muscularis and tunica fibrosa are shown.

The tunica fibrosa is the outer most layer and contains blood vessels, nerve fibers and fibrous connective tissue.

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Cross-section through the body of the canine penis.

The dorsal artery, vein, and nerve of the penis are seen at the top of the figure.

The dense connective tissue that surrounds and divides the erectile body are the tunica albuginea and septum penis, respectively.

The erectile body (corpus cavernosum penis - ccp) is located on both sides septum penis ccp ccp of the septum.

Located ventrally are the urethra, surrounded by the corpus spongiosum penis (csp), and the retractor penis muscle.

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Canine penis.

The figure shows at a slightly higher magnification the tunica albuginea septum penis, and corpus cavernosum penis.

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Canine penis.

The erectile body (corpus cavernosum penis) is seen at a higher magnification. It contains adipose tissue and anastomosing venous sinuses

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Corpus cavernosum, canine penis.

The corpus cavernosum is characterized by an abundance of smooth muscle which surrounds the cavernous sinuses

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Corpus cavernosum, canine penis.

The figure shows a cross-section of a helicine artery (branch of the arterial blood supply to the corpus cavernosum penis).

Relaxation of the smooth muscle in these arteries result in dilation and increased blood flow to the cavernous tissue at the time of erection

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Canine penis.

The penile urethra, surrounded by the corpus spongiosum penis, and the retractor penis muscle (bottom of screen) are shown

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Corpus spongiosum, canine penis.

The penile urethra and its erectile body, the corpus spongiosum penis, are seen in Figures A and B.

The urethra is lined by a stratified cuboidal epithelium.

Erectile tissue (represented by the venous sinuses) is present in the lamina propria.

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Equine penis.

Figure A is a cross-section through the dorsal part of the penis and shows the corpus spongiosum glandis (beneath skin layer), and part of the corpus cavernosum penis (ccp)surrounded by the tunica albuginia.

Figure B is a cross section through the ventral part of the penis and shows a part of the corpus cavernosum and the penile urethra surrounded by the corpus spongiosum penis (csp).

*(Figures A and B represent two parts of a cross section of the equine penis. Because of the large size, the cross section was divided into a dorsal part -A and a ventral part - B)

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Equine penis.

The corpus spongiosum glandis (erectile body of the glans penis) is seen at a slightly higher magnification.

Numerous nerve bundles are present in the connective tissue separating the venous sinuses

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Equine penis.

The penile urethra and the corpus spongiosum penis are shown.

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Orange:

Penile urethra, equine penis.

The epithelium lining the penile urethra at the level of this section is in transition from stratified cuboidal to stratified squamous.

Erectile tissue is present in the lamina propria