The present work was performed on twelve male baladi goat (4 immature, 4 mature and 4 castrated). Skin biopsies were taken from subcaudal area and processed for electron microscope. Semithin sections revealed that subcaudal glands were consisted of lobulated compound alveolar sebaceous gland associated with simple coiled tubular sweat glands. The ultrastructure of the sebaceous glands of immature male showed that the alveoli composed of mostly one type of cells and contained numerous mitochondria and free ribosomes with few lipid droplets. Meanwhile, the cells of the sebaceous gland of mature male were arranged in each alveolus as peripheral, mature (differentiating) and necrotic cells. The most of these cells were showed an increased lipid droplets closed to more developed tubulo-alveolar smooth endoplasmic reticulum and few mitochondria. In castrated male, the mature differentiating cells characterized by an increase in the number of the vacuoles that became more dilated with ill distinct edges, in addition to ill developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The associated sweat glands were clearly active in both mature and castrated males and the secretory sweat cells contained abundant mitochondria and secretory vesicles closed to well developed Golgi apparatus. The mechanism of secretion seemed to be fluid transport and exocytosis of secretory vesicles. It can be concluded that the ultrastructure of the subcaudal glands exhibited morphological and functional changes after maturity and castration. The physiological role of this gland needs further investigations. It may be has a role in animal communication. |
