Comparative Study of Prostatic Utricle in Rat, Rabbit, Dog and Man

Abstract

The prostatic utricle is one of the auxiliary glands associated with the genital duct systems in males. In man it is described as a blind pouch about 6mm long, situated in the median lobe of prostate, opens into the urethra in the median line of colliculus seminalis; and contains mucous glands and smooth muscle fibres. It is a vestigial structure representing the lower fused segments or remnants of Mullerian or paramesonephric ducts and analogous to uterovaginal canal in female.There is no constant view about the presence and the structure of prostatic utricle in different animals so it is essential in the field of research of genital accessory glands to have an accepted view about the presence, the structure and the nature of secretion of prostatic utricle in animals.The present work simply provides general architecture, level of opening and nature of secretion of the prostatic utricle by histological observations with various stains on total 15 animals. The prostatic utricle was identified in all the studied animals; however it varied in its size, shape and structure. Proportionally the largest prostatic utricle was found in rabbit where it was a large elongated pouch with mucosa; submucosa and muscular coats; situated behind the prostate and opened at the median line of posterior wall of prostatic urethra. The prostatic utricle in man and dog was in the form of an elongated cavity with numerous glands; embedded in the urethral crest and opened at the median line of posterior wall of prostatic urethra. In rat it was a minor structure in the form of a few tubules in the substance of urethral crest and opened at the either side of median line of posterior wall of prostatic urethra. The secretion of mucoprotein nature was seen in the prostatic utricle and its glands; in all these studied animals.