Scanning electron microscopy of penile papillae in intact and castrated rats

Abstract The scanning electron microscope was used to study the general morphology and orientation of keratinized papillae on the glans penis of the rat. The micrographs provided a novel view of the three-dimensional arrangement of the papillae on the surface of the glans in the normal state, during degeneration after castration, and during regeneration after treatment with testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Treatment with 19-hydroxytestosterone failed to stimulate regeneration. Both the morphology and the responsiveness of the spines to appropriate androgens reinforce the hypothesis that they play a role in the normal reproductive process.