Postnatal and postpartal morphology of the mammary gland in nude mice

The object of this work was to compare the postnatal and postpartal morphology of the mammary gland of nu/nu with that of nu/(+)-mice. All studies were carried out on groups of female (athymic) nude mice with NMRI genetic background, their nu/(+)-siblings and dams. The various age groups (3, 21, 40, 55, 70 and 120 days) each consisted of 6 nu/nu- and 6 heterozygous nu/(+)-mice respectively. The morphological examination of the mammary gland tissue were made on histological sections and whole mounts. Body weights, total areas of the mammary glands and the number of the terminal end buds were compared. The mammary gland of the athymic nude mouse exhibited no essential morphological differences from the normal developing mammary gland of the hairy euthymic nu/(+)-animal. The area of the mammary gland increased with increasing body weight. Both collectives of mice differed only in their rate of mammary gland development. As a result, the terminal end buds appeared numerously as growth points of mammary gland in nu/(+)-animals as early as the 21st day of life. The athymic nude mice showed a maximum only on the 40th day of life and a lower degree of density and differentiation of specific mammary gland structures (lateral buds, lobulo-alveolar glandular endings) until the 70th day of life. The mammary gland of 120-day-old animals and dams of both animal groups reached the same state of maturity. Thus it is not the rate of development of the dam, but other, yet unidentified factors, which determine, if successful breeding of nude mice with homozygous parents is possible.