연령변화에 따른 흰쥐 수컷 부속생식샘의 형태변화와 Fibronectin 및 Tenascin의 분포양상

Abstract

The present study was carried out to investigate the changes of morphology, and distributions of fibronectin and tenascin in the male rat accessory sex glands (prostate gland, seminal vesicle, and coagulating gland) with aging. The prostate gland, seminal vesicle and coagulating gland in the five groups of Sprague-Dawley male rats [immature (3 weeks), young (2 months), mature (6 month), old Ⅰ(12 months), and old Ⅱ(2 years)] were dissected, and the tissues were then fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde solution. Morphological changes were observed after the hematoxylin-eosin staining. They were immunohistochemically stained for the fibronectin and tenascin. The results were as follows, the morphology of the epithelia in the prostate gland changed from simple columnar epithelium to simple cuboidal epithelium with aging, however, there was no morphological change in the seminal vesicle and the coagulating gland with aging. The fibronectin immunoreactivity appeared in the lateral surfaces of the epithelial cells of the prostate gland of the old Ⅰ group, and the tenascin immunoreactivity increased with aging in the lateral surfaces of the epithelial cells of the prostate gland. A small number of the fibronectin and tenascin immunoreactive epithelial cells appeared in the seminal vesicle of the old Ⅰ group. The fibronectin and tenascin immunoreactivities appeared in the lateral surfaces of the prostate eqithelial cells at old Ⅰ group. Based on the above results, it can be assumed that fibronectin and tenascin are essential extracellular matrix glycoprotein in morphologieal preservation in aged rat accessory sex glands.