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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Ultrastructure of the kidney of a South American caecilian, Typhlonectes compressicaudus (Amphibia, Gymnophiona). II. Distal tubule, connecting tubule, collecting duct and Wolffian duct.

The ultrastructure of the distal nephron, the collecting duct and the Wolffian duct was studied in a South American caecilian, Typhlonectes compressicaudus (Amphibia, Gymnophiona) by transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM, SEM). The distal tubule (DT) is made up of one type of cell that has a well-developed membrane labyrinth established both by interdigitating processes and by interlocking ramifications. The processes contain large mitochondria, the ramifications do not. The tight junction is shallow and elongated by a meandering course. The connecting tubule (CNT) is composed of CNT cells proper and intercalated cells, both of which are cuboidal in shape. The CNT cells are characterized by many lateral interlocking folds. The intercalated cells have a dark cytoplasm densely filled with mitochondria. Their apical cell membrane is typically amplified by microplicae beneath which a layer of globular particles (studs) is found. The collecting duct (CD) is composed of principal cells and intercalated cells, again both cuboidal in shape. The CD epithelium is characterized by dilated intercellular spaces, which are often filled with lateral microfolds projecting from adjacent principal cells. The apical membrane is covered by a prominent glycocalyx. The intercalated cells in the CD are similar to those in the CNT. The Wolffian duct (WD) has a tall pseudostratified epithelium established by WD cells proper, intercalated cells and basal cells. The WD cells contain irregular-shaped dense granules located beneath the apical cell membrane. The intercalated cells of the WD have a dark cytoplasm with many mitochondria; their nuclei display a dense chromatin pattern.

Amphibians↗
PubMed1979

A comparative study of the differentiation and involution of the Mullerian duct and Wolffian duct in the male and female fetal mouse.

The present investigation has examined the ultrastructural differentiation of the genital ducts of both sexes of fetal mice. The emphasis of observations was placed on the phenomenon of morphogenetic cytolysis, particularly during the critical periods of Wolffian duct stabilization and Mullerian duct involution. Both developing and regressing genital ducts evidence extensive cytolysis. Autophagy appears to be the mechanism of morphogenetic changes in the developing male Wolffian duct. Autophagy, heterophagy, and degeneration in situ are all prominent cytolytic activities in female Wollfian duct involution. The developing female Mullerian duct undergoes extensive morphogenetic remodeling by the mechanisms of autophagy, heterophagy, and degeneration in situ. In the male Mullerian duct, autophagy, heterophagy, and degeneration in situ are also prominent. In addition, whole degenerated epithelial cells are extruded from the duct early in regression which may be realted to the transformation of periductal mesenchymal cells into an "epithelioid cell cuff" which does not form around the regressing Wolffian duct. The formation of this mesenchymal condensation surrounding the duct is also accompanied by the protrusion of Mullerian epithelial cell cytoplasm into the mesenchymal cells. These observations may evidence a complex epithelial-mesenchymal interaction occurring during male Mullerian duct involution.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Regulation of Wolffian duct development.

Wolffian ducts (WDs) are the embryonic structures that form the male internal genitalia. These ducts develop in both the male and female embryo. However, in the female they subsequently regress, whereas in the male they are stabilised by testosterone. The WDs then develop into separate but contiguous organs, the epididymis, vas deferens and seminal vesicles. Recently, considerable progress has been made in identifying genes that are involved in these different stages of development which is described in this review. In addition, WD development in (atypical forms of) cystic fibrosis and intersex disorders, such as the complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency and LH-receptor defects, is discussed. The apparent increase in male reproductive tract disorders is briefly discussed from the perspective of the potential endocrine-disrupting effects of the numerous chemicals in the environment to which the developing male foetus can be exposed.

Androgens↗
PubMed2001

Characterization of Pax-2 regulatory sequences that direct transgene expression in the Wolffian duct and its derivatives.

The Pax family of transcription factors plays important roles in vertebrate organogenesis. Pax-2 is a critical factor in the development of the mammalian urogenital system. Pax-2 is expressed in the epithelia of the ureter, the Müllerian duct, and the Wolffian duct and in the nephrogenic mesenchyme. Gene targeting in the mouse as well as natural mutations in mouse and man have demonstrated the requirement of Pax-2 in the development of these structures. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating Pax-2 expression in the developing urogenital system. As a first step to reveal these mechanisms and to search for the elements and factors controlling Pax-2 expression we have characterized regulatory sequences of the Pax-2 gene in an in vivo reporter assay in the mouse. An 8.5-kb genomic region upstream of the Pax-2 transcription start site directed reporter gene activity in the epithelium of the pronephric duct at 8.25 days postcoitum (dpc) and in the Wolffian duct starting from 9.0 dpc. Expression in the Wolffian duct and its derivatives, the ureter, the collecting duct system, the seminal vesicles, the vas deferens, and the epididymis, was maintained at least until 18.5 dpc. Hence, an element(s) in the 8.5-kb upstream region is sufficient to initiate and maintain Pax-2 expression in the Wolffian duct and its derivatives. In order to more precisely map the Wolffian duct regulatory sequences, a deletion analysis of the 8.5-kb upstream region was performed in a transient in vivo reporter assay. A 0.4-kb subfragment was required for marker gene expression in the Wolffian duct. Misexpression of fgf8 under the control of the 8.5-kb upstream region resulted in polycystic kidneys, demonstrating the general usefulness of Pax-2 regulatory sequences in misexpression of foreign genes in the ureter and collecting duct system of the kidney in transgenic approaches in mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Origin of müllerian duct and its later developmental changes in relation to wolffian duct in bovine fetuses.

At the 1.6-1.8 cm stages in both male and female bovine fetuses, the anlage of the Müllerian duct was first observed as an elevation of mesothelium on the cranial tip of the mesonephros. The duct extended toward the urogenital sinus in parallel with the Wolffian duct. Its caudal end was solid and was fused with the Wolffian duct at about the level of the middle of the gonadal anlage. Thereafter, the Müllerian duct became gradually independent of the Wolffian duct throughout its whole length. Therefore, it may be that the main part of the Müllerian duct is established by budding from the Wolffian duct. At the 4.3-4.5 cm stages the male Müllerian duct began to degenerate and the female one continued to grow. This suggests that the male Müllerian duct is affected by the Müllerian inhibiting substance at these stages. At the 12.0 cm stage, the female Wolffian duct disappeared. The male Wolffian duct was also much reduced in diameter at this stage, but began to grow again from the 14 cm stage onward.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

An XY female with Müllerian duct development and persistent Wolffian duct structures.

Disorders of sexual differentiation are usually diagnosed at an early age. We hereby describe a case of a 29-year-old phenotypic woman who during the evaluation of amenorrhea was found to have a 46, XY karyotype. Further evaluation (including laparoscopy) suggested that she presented a variant of gonadal dysgenesis, with the particularity of having well-developed müllerian structures and testicular remnants alongside a steroid-producing gonadoblastoma.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Changes in gene expression during Wolffian duct development.

BACKGROUND: Wolffian ducts (WDs) are the embryonic precursors of the male reproductive tract. Their development is induced by testosterone, which interacts with the androgen receptor (AR). The molecular pathways underlying androgen-dependent WD development are largely unknown. We aimed to identify AR target genes important in this process. METHODS: RNA was isolated from rat WDs at E17.5 and E20.5. Affymetrix GeneChip expression arrays were used to identify transcripts up- or downregulated more than 2-fold. Regulation of seven transcripts was confirmed using quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Transcripts from 76 known genes were regulated, including modulators of insulin-like growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta signalling. By controlling these modulators, androgens may indirectly affect growth factor signalling pathways important in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and organ development. Caveolin-1, also upregulated, may play a role in modifying as well as mediating AR signalling. Differentiation of WD epithelium and smooth muscle, innervation and extracellular matrix synthesis were reflected in regulation of other transcripts. Several genes were previously suggested to be regulated by androgens or contained functional or putative androgen/glucocorticoid response elements, indicating they may be direct targets of androgen signalling. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest novel cohorts of signals that may contribute to androgen-dependent WD development and provide hypotheses that can be tested by future studies.

Androgens↗
PubMed1989

Origin of müllerian duct and its later development in relation to Wolffian duct and anogenital distance in the rat.

On day 14 of fetal life in the rat, Müllerian (paramesonephric) duct in both sexes was first observed close to Wolffian (mesonephric) duct. Its caudal end joined Wolffian duct at about the level of the middle of gonadal anlage. Thereafter, Müllerian duct became independent of Wolffian duct through its whole length. Therefore, the main part of Müllerian duct may be formed by budding from Wolffian duct. On day 16, the anogenital distance in male started to increase with thickening of Wolffian duct and disappearance of Müllerian duct. Castration of male fetuses on day 19 stopped later masculinizing development. Therefore, it is clear that the fetal testis is an organ crucial for the masculinization of the urogenital tract as it activates the secretion of masculinizing hormone(s).

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Surface of the rooster spermatozoon changes in passing through the Wolffian duct.

Fluid secreted by the rooster Wolffian duct contains several proteins separable on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and isoelectric focusing (IEF) gels. Antibodies against these fluid components were obtained by immunizing rabbits, and the IgG fraction was then purified. As judged by indirect immunofluorescence, purified IgG against rooster duct fluid did not bind to any testicular spermatozoa. However, it bound distinctly to the whole surface of spermatozoa from the initial (epididymal) region and more intensely to all spermatozoa from the mid- and terminal regions of the Wolffian duct of the rooster, though not at all to mature duck or pigeon spermatozoa. Thus, in the rooster, as in therian mammals, the surface of the spermatozoon clearly acquires specific components secreted by the Wolffian duct. It should not be assumed that such surface change in rooster spermatozoa is entirely comparable, in a functional sense, to that undergone by mammalian spermatozoa, in which this seems directly related to fertilizing ability. Unlike those of mammals, rooster spermatozoa do not seem to require capacitation, and some spermatozoa in the testis already are competent to fertilize. Components acquired in the Wolffian duct by the rooster spermatozoon may bear on other aspects, perhaps sperm transport and/or survival in the female.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Male adnexal tumour of probable Wolffian duct origin.

Male adnexal tumours of Wolffian duct origin are very rare. They have variable malignant potential and surgical excision is recommended. We report the case of a 56-year-old male who presented with a swelling in the perineum thought to be a haematoma as the result of a complication of a laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. It recurred after incision and two attempts at drainage and was then completely excised. Histology revealed the lesion to be an adnexal tumour of probable Wolffian duct origin. To our knowledge there have only been two previous cases of male adnexal tumour of Wolffian duct origin reported in the literature.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1983

The role of the Wolffian ducts in the formation of the sinus vagina: an organ culture study.

In mammals formation of a sinus vagina is inhibited in the male by endogenous testosterone from the embryonic testes. To answer the question which morphogenetic events during formation of the vagina are influenced by testosterone, we explanted genital tracts of mouse embryos in the indifferent stage of development in organ culture. Half of the explants were treated with testosterone and therefore developed in male direction. The other half was kept without testosterone and developed constitutively in female direction. Since the anti Müller factor was not present, in both types of cultures the Müllerian ducts were preserved. During female development the Müllerian ducts fused with the dorsolaterally apposed caudal segments of the Wolffian ducts. Thus the caudal segments of the Wolffian ducts were incorporated in the vaginal plate, while cranially the Wolffian ducts degenerated as expected. During male development fusion between Müllerian and Wolffian ducts did not occur. Under the influence of testosterone the respective caudal segments of the Wolffian ducts were surrounded by dense mesenchyme and further male differentiation took place. We conclude that the 'sinus protrusions' or 'sinovaginal bulbs' observed during development of the vagina, are in fact the caudal segments of the Wolffian ducts. They serve as a link between Müllerian ducts and urogenital sinus. Formation of a sinus vagina is prevented by testosterone simply by induction of male development in this area.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Does testosterone diffuse down the wolffian duct during sexual differentiation?

PURPOSE: Sexual differentiation in gonadal dysgenesis is commonly asymmetrical. In patients with true hermaphroditism there may be an ovary and müllerian duct on 1 side, and a testis and wolffian duct on the other side. Such asymmetry suggests that testicular hormones only act locally at this early stage of sexual differentiation. We tested the hypothesis that testosterone reaches the wolffian duct by transport down the duct rather than by simple diffusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mouse 14-day urogenital ridges were placed in organ culture and microinjected with testosterone-albumin-fluorescein isothiocyanate. RESULTS: At 17 hours fluorescence was found throughout the wolffian duct and by 48 hours it was maximal in the dilated caudal end. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypothesis that androgens may be transported along the wolffian duct. Secretion of testicular hormones into the wolffian duct may maintain hormone levels in the biologically active range.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Role of prostaglandins in the testosterone-dependent wolffian duct differentiation of the fetal mouse.

Recent observations from this laboratory indicated a role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in masculine differentiation of the external genitalia of the fetal mouse, induced by fetal testosterone. In this communication, we further investigated the role played by PGE2 in the testosterone-induced differentiation of the internal genital tract (Wolffian duct) of the fetal mouse. Using in vitro organ culture bioassay of Wolffian duct differentiation, we determined the effect of a PG-depleting agent, namely, anti-PGE2 antibody, and of inhibitors of PG synthesis for their ability to prevent Wolffian duct differentiation in the presence of testosterone. We demonstrated that anti-PGE2 antibody inhibited Wolffian duct differentiation in a dose-dependent manner in embryonic male explants containing fetal testes. At 1:10 dilution, the antibody inhibited the appearance of the entire Wolffian duct as well as growth of the specimen. At 1:100 dilution, however, only development of the Wolffian duct was prevented, as indicated by the absence of regions of the Wolffian duct or by the presence of epithelial disintegration throughout the ductal lumen. The antibody at 1:1000 dilution produced no significant effect on the appearance of the Wolffian duct. PGE2 (10 micrograms/ml) replacement in the medium prevented Wolffian duct disintegration induced by anti-PGE2. We next determined whether the testosterone-dependent Wolffian duct differentiation requires ongoing PG synthesis within the reproductive tract and analyzed the effects of the compounds inhibiting PG synthesis at the level of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) namely, cortisone and dexamethasone-and of those inhibiting at the level of cyclooxygenase-namely, aspirin and indomethacin. We have demonstrated that both PLA2 and cyclooxygenase inhibitors inhibited Wolffian duct differentiation in the male explant, i.e., in the presence of testis. These compounds also prevented the appearance of the Wolffian duct in female explants induced by exogenous testosterone. PGE2 added in the medium blocked the anti-masculinizing effects of PG synthesis inhibitors both in the male and female specimens. Thus, it appears that PG synthesis plays a role in the testosterone-induced masculine differentiation of the Wolffian duct.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Involution of the Wolffian duct in the rat.

The involution of Wolffian duct in female rat fetuses from 15 to 21 days of gestation was studied in electron microscope. The female Wolffian duct stopped its differentiation on day 17 and the onset of duct regression was found in 18 days old fetuses. The involution was accompanied by degeneration and disintegration of epithelial cells, removal of basal lamina and elimination of altered cells into periductal mesenchyme. Although the mechanism of programmed cell death contributed to the WD regression the findings of non-altered epithelial cells supported the opinion of possible migration of some WD cells into the mesenchymal cell compartment.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

The role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in male reproductive tract differentiation: stimulation of EGFR expression and inhibition of Wolffian duct differentiation with anti-EGFR antibody.

We have shown previously that epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays a role in testosterone-dependent fetal Wolffian duct differentiation. To assess the role of EGF further, we examined EGF receptor (EGFR) expression during Wolffian duct differentiation and determined whether inhibition of EGFR results in inhibition of Wolffian duct differentiation. Using a polyclonal anti-EGFR antibody in the Western blot analysis, we have detected an immunoreactive band at the expected 180-kDa size, the molecular size for the EGFR protein, in the 18-day fetal male reproductive tract. The mouse 3T3 cell line, used as a positive control, also produced an immunospecific band at the same region. The intensity of the immunoreactive 180-kDa band in the 18-day male reproductive tract significantly decreased after pretreatment of the antibody with the 3T3 cell extract. Nonimmune serum produced no band at the 180- kDa region, suggesting EGFR specificity of the 180-kDa band. The level of the 180-kDa EGFR protein was found to be higher in the 18-day male than in the female reproductive tract. Testosterone increased expression of the EGFR level in the 18-day masculinized female reproductive tract, and it induced Wolffian duct morphogenesis. Under in vitro culture conditions, the anti-EGFR antibody prevented Wolffian duct differentiation, induced by the fetal testis, suggesting a direct role of EGFR in male reproductive tract differentiation. No such effect was found when tested with nonimmune serum. Anti-EGFR also blocked the development of the Wolffian duct in the female explant, induced by exogenous EGF. Thus, a role of EGFR mediating the effect of EGF during male reproductive tract differentiation is demonstrated.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Specificity of sperm-binding Wolffian duct proteins in the rooster and their persistence on spermatozoa in the female host glands.

Unlike those of mammals, chicken spermatozoa can develop their fertilizing ability before they leave the testis to pass into the Wolffian duct; moreover, chicken spermatozoa do not require a period of capacitation in the female tract. A question arises, therefore, as to the significance of secretory proteins shown to bind to the surface of chicken spermatozoa as they pass into and through the Wolffian duct. Using anti-Wolffian duct fluid IgG as a probe visualized by immunoperoxidase staining, the present investigation confirms that testicular spermatozoa of quail and turkey as well as chicken do not have any surface determinants in common with those present in Wolffian duct secretions. By contrast, those in the lower portion of the vas deferens display a strong reaction with anti-Wolffian fluid IgG over their entire surface, and immunoprecipitation studies suggest that this reflects the binding of four Wolffian duct proteins. Since a reaction to the antichicken fluid IgG is shown also by mature quail and turkey, but not duck and pigeon spermatozoa, the Wolffian components that coat spermatozoa in birds appear to have a specificity confined to the same order, in this case the Galliformes. Following vaginal or intramagnal insemination, spermatozoa present 48 hours later in the uterovaginal host glands and infundibulum glands, respectively, still reacted strongly. This finding that Wolffian duct components persist on the surface of spermatozoa in the female tract is consistent with the possibility that they have some role in sperm storage or survival in female birds.

Animals↗