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Ultrastructure of the urethra of the Mongolian gerbil
P F F Pinheiro1, C C D Almeida, T M Segatelli
1Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences, Campus of Botucatu, UNESP, Rubião Júnior, Caixa Postal 510, CEP.: 18618-000 Botucatu SP, Brazil. martinez@ibb.unesp.br
Objective:
The urethra is the main port of entry of sexually transmitted pathogens. However, papers on the morphology of the urethra are scarce. The Mongolian gerbil is a rodent native of the Mongolia and China and has been utilized as a laboratory animal since the 1960s. This work describes the ultrastructure of the urethra of the Mongolian gerbil to provide data for future experimental studies.
Methods:
The urethra of ten adult male gerbils was studied by transmission electron microscopy.
Results:
The epithelium of the pelvic urethra possesses two cell types: I and II, without the formation of cellular layers, while the penile urethra possesses cellular layers: basal, intermediate and superficial. The urethra presents neurosecretory cells belonging to the amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation system.
Conclusions:
The urethral epithelium of the gerbil is a neurosecretory epithelium, part of the amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation system.