[Sexual dimorphism in rat submaxillary gland]. / Contribución al estudio del dimorfismo sexual en glandula submaxilar de rata.

ABSTRACT

The existence of sexual dimorphism (SDM) in tubules and acini of the submaxillary gland was investigated in male and female 60 day-old Wistar rats. Conventional histology was followed by evaluation of 1) Percentage of area occupied by tubules, acini, and other tissues and 2) Tubular area, employing a semi-automatic image analyser. The granular tubules of male rats were larger than those of females. This statistically significant difference indicates the existence of SDM from a morphological viewpoint. Castration seems to abolish these differences by inducing involution of tubular tissue in males. Whereas treatment with testosterone seems to reconstitute tubular tissue in castrated males, a similar dose of estradiol benzoate elicits a reduction in tubular size in ovariectomized females.