Histology and Histometric Anatomy of the Male Reproductive System of Bat (Eidolon helvum)

Abstract

The male reproductive system of fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) was studied histologically using light microscope. Thirty males (17 adults and 13 juveniles) were captured using net, weighed, aged using relative ossification of the wing bone, and dissected and reproductive tissue was processed for histomorphometry. On the basis of histological sections, the structures of a pair of testis containing the seminiferous tubules of adults were compacted in organization with spermatogenic cells. The epididymis has a thinner muscular region than the vas deferens with longitudinal folds on the mucosal lining. Two portions were observed in the prostate gland, while seminal vesicle has numerous trabeculae and bulbourethral gland was observed to have multiacini. There was increase in thickness of muscular region, epithelial height, and luminal diameter of epididymis and vas deferens between adults and juveniles. This work has documented the histology of the male reproductive system in bats, and ultrastructure and histochemistry are recommended for further insight into the reproductive biology.

Ultrastructure of the Secretory Epithelial Cells of the Bulbo-Urethral Glands (Cowper's gland) in the Indian Fruit Bat, Rousettus leschenaulti (Desmarest) During the Reproductive Cycle

“…They become hypertrophied and secretory with granular columnar epithelium in synchrony with the elevated testicular steroid cycle and involuted with cuboidal epithelium and agranular cytoplasm in the inactive testicular state in number of bat species, Nactyla noctula (Racey, 1974); Pipistrellus dormeri (Gadegone & Sapkal, 1983); Taphozous melanopogon and Miniopterus (Gadegone et al, 1995); Brachyphylla cavemarum (Krutzsch & Nellis, 2006); Hipposideros lankadiva (Gadegone et al, 2005); Brachyphylla cavemarum (Puga et al); Myotis negricans (Negrin et al, 2014) and Eidolon helvum (Danmaigoro et al, 2014). Similar cyclical changes in the histology of the bulbo-urethral gland of Rousettus have been reported in the present study.…”

Ultrastructure of the secretory epithelial cells of the Cowper's gland in the Indian fruit bat, Rousettus leschenaulti (Desmarest) during the reproductive cycle

“…Cyclic histological changes in Cowper's gland have been studied in few species of bats. They become hypertrophied and secretory with granular columnar epithelium in synchrony with the elevated testicular steroid cycle, and involuted with cuboidal epithelium and agranular cytoplasm in the inactive testicular state in several bat species: Nactyla noctula [ 11 ], Pipistrellus dormeri [ 12 ], Taphozous melanopogon, Miniopterus [ 13 ], Brachyphylla cavemarum [ 14 ], Hipposideros lankadiva [ 15 ], and Eidolon helvum [ 16 ]. Similar cyclical changes in the histology of the Cowper's gland of Rousettus have been reported in the present study, conforming the observations on Cowper's glands of other species of bats.…”

Seasonal variations in the morphology of the seminal vesicles of the African straw‐coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum)

“…Even so, little is known about the reproductive biology of this immensely popular and ecologically important species of bat (Boyles et al., 2011; Ghanem & Voigt, 2012; Henry & Jouard, 2007; Kamins et al., 2011; Kunz et al., 2011; Medellin & Gaona, 1999; Mildenstein et al., 2016). The morphology of the seminal vesicle has been reported for a few bat species (Danmaigoro, Onu, Sonfada, Umaru, Hena, et al, 2014; Danmaigoro et al., 2014; Fard & Ghassemi, 2017; Krutzsch, 2000; Krutzsch & Nellis, 2006). Furthermore, seasonal variations in some reproductive functions of E. helvum have been reported (Abiaezute et al., 2020; Abiaezute et al., 2020), but reports on the seasonal changes that may occur in the morphology of the seminal vesicles of E. helvum are lacking.…”