A 14 d ovarian primordium was transplanted with a fetal testis
(13–18 d
and 21 d of gestation) or a neonatal
testis (15, 20, 30 and 45 d after birth) into the renal subcapsular position
of an
adult male rat. Two weeks
after transplantation, transplants were examined as to the degree of ovarian
and
testicular differentiation. In
the combination of a 14 d ovary and a 13 d testis, there were 3 types of
result:
either the ovary or the testis
alone developed or both gonads developed well. Ovaries transplanted in
union with
15–18 d testes did not
develop, although the testes developed normally. Some ovaries in union
with 21 d
testes developed normally.
In combination with infantile testes, the incidence of developed ovaries
increased
as the age of testes
advanced. These results suggest that the 13 d fetal testes begin to suppress
the
development of
cotransplanted 14 d ovaries, that 14–18 d fetal testes maintain such
suppressive effects and that this effect
gradually diminishes in infantile testes as they progress toward
45 d after birth.