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Histological Studies on Penis of the Boar (Sus scrofa domesticus)

Article · January 2017

DOI: 10.5455/ijlr.20170716010950

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 Vol 7 (10) Oct ’17
International Journal of Livestock Research eISSN : 2277-1964 NAAS Score -5.36

Original Research

Histological Studies on Penis of the Boar (Sus scrofa domesticus)

E. Raja Ravi Teja1*, N. Rajendranath2, G. Purushotham3 and M. Lakshman4

College of Veterinary Science, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, INDIA

1
M.V.Sc Scholar, Department of Veterinary Anatomy
2
Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Science, Korutla,
Karimnagar, Telangana, INDIA
3
Professor, Department of Veterinary Anatomy
4
Professor, Department of Veterinary Pathology

*Corresponding author: ersavadlar@gmail.com

Rec. Date: Jun 02, 2017 19:35

Accept Date: Jul 16, 2017 13:09
Published Online: September 22, 2017
DOI 10.5455/ijlr.20170716010950

Abstract
Histological features confirmed that penis of boar was a fibroelastic organ with a corpus cavernosum
and corpus spongiosum. The caverns were surrounded by connective tissue trabeculae with smooth
muscle cells. Helicine arteries with epithelioid smooth muscle cells in tunica intima were in the corpus
cavernosum penis. Cavernous spaces of both corpus cavernosum and spongiosum were lined by single
layer of endothelium. Tip of the penis was intimately covered by visceral layer of the prepuce which was
lined by stratified squamous epithelium. Large solitary lymphatic nodules were seen in internal layer of
prepuce. The penile urethra was enclosed in corpus spongiosum. Urethra mucosa was thrown into
longitudinal folds with transitional epithelium from external urethral orifice to bulbous part. Average
thickness of transitional epithelium at root, body and glans was 27.3 ± 1.42 µm, 58.5 ± 1.42 µm and 78 ±
1.42 µm respectively.

Key words: Corpus cavernosum, Corpus spongiosum, Histology, Tunica albuginea

How to cite: Ersavadla, R., Nalla, R., Gudepu, P., & Mekala, L. (2017). Histological Studies on Penis of
the Boar (Sus scrofa domesticus). International Journal of Livestock Research, 7(10), 80-85
http://dx.doi.org/10.5455/ijlr.20170716010950

Introduction
The penis in boar was a fibroelastic organ, essentially made up of the corpus cavernosum and spongiosum
penis which in turn surrounded the penile urethra. Urethra was surrounded by bulbourethral gland
followed by the striated bulbourethral muscle in the bulbous part. Urethra was surrounded by corpus
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spongiosum at body and tip of the penis. The spiral twist approximately characterized the cranial third of
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the tip of the penis.

Hosted@www.ijlr.org DOI 10.5455/ijlr.20170716010950

 Vol 7 (10) Oct ’17
International Journal of Livestock Research eISSN : 2277-1964 NAAS Score -5.36

Material and Methods

The tissue pieces of penis were collected immediately after slaughter and fixed in 10 per cent Neutral
buffered formalin and Bouin’s fluid for histological studies. The fixed tissue specimens were processed
for routine paraffin embedding method (Singh and Sulochana 1998). Paraffin sections of 5 µm thickness
were cut and subjected to the following staining methods- H & E staining for routine histoarchitectural
study (Singh and Sulochana 1998). Masson’s Trichrome staining (Singh and Sulochana 1998) for
differentiation between collagen and muscle fiber (Verhoeff’s method for elastic fibers, Culling 1974).

Results and Discussion

In the present study the tunica albuginea covering the penis was a thick layer of dense irregular
connective tissue composed of collagen, elastic and smooth muscle fibers. The collagen fibers were
arranged circularly in superficial layer while were longitudinally oriented in the deeper layer of the tunica
albuginea (Fig. 1).

Fig 1: Photomicrograph showing body of boar penis. Fig 2: Photomicrograph showing roots of boar penis.
Masson’s trichome 10x. Tunica albuginea(TA), Corpus Bulbocavernous Muscles(BCM), Intercavernous
Cavernosum Penis(CCP), Trabecule(TRB), Outer Septa(ICS), Tunica albugenia(TA), Artery(A).
circular layer of TA and inner longitudinal layer of TA.

Fig 3: Photomicrograph showing body of boar penis. Fig 4: Photomicrograph showing body of boar penis.
Tunica Albugenia(TA), Nerve(N), Helicine Artery(HA). Tunica Albugenia(TA), Corpus Cavernosum
Penis(CCP), Urethra(URT), Corpus Spongiosum
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Penis(CSP) and Cavernous Spaces(CS).

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 Vol 7 (10) Oct ’17
International Journal of Livestock Research eISSN : 2277-1964 NAAS Score -5.36

These observations are in partial agreement with the findings of Ziehmer et al. (2013) and Ribeiro et al.
(2013) who cited that smooth muscle fibers and large amount of elastic connective tissue occurred in the
penis of Babirusa pigs and buffalo respectively. The tunica albuginea covering the bulbous urethra
formed a partition between the two bulbo cavernous muscles (Fig. 2). The tunica albuginea projected as a
connective tissue septum between the two cavernous bodies at the root of the penis in boar. The tunica
albuginea consisted of numerous myelinated nerve fibers in bundles and arteries (Fig. 3). These
observations were also made by Babinski et al. (2005) in wild boar, Kalita et al. (2015) in Zovawk,
Ashdown and Gilanpour (1974) in bull, Ziehmer et al. (2013) in Babirusa and Ribeiro et al. (2013) in
buffalo bull. The extent of the septum was very short as it disappeared immediately resulted in the
formation of a single cavernous body at the body and tip of the penis. The tunica albuginea enclosed the
corpus spongosum was thinner than that covering the corpus cavernosum penis (Fig. 4). These
observations are in accordance with the findings of Trautmann and Fiebiger (1957) in domestic animals
and Thandavamurthy (1975) in Indian buffalo bulls.

Fig 5: Photomicrograph showing Corpus cavernosum at Fig 6: Photomicrograph showing Corpus cavernosum
body of boar penis. Tunica albugenia(TA), penis. Cavernous spaces (CS), Trabecule(TRB),
Trabecule(TRB), Smooth Muscle Fiber(SMF) and Helicine Artery(HA) and endothelium.
cavernous spaces.

Fig 7: Photomicrograph showing tip of boar penis. Fig 8: Photomicrograph showing urethra of boar penis at
Verhoeff’s elastic stain 10x. Urethra (URT), Tunica root. Transitional Epithelium (TEP), Propria
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Albugenia(TA), Corpus Spongiosum Penis(CSP) and Submucosa(PS), Smooth Muscle Fibers(SMF).

elastic fibers.
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 Vol 7 (10) Oct ’17
International Journal of Livestock Research eISSN : 2277-1964 NAAS Score -5.36

The cavernous tissue was lined by endothelium and surrounded by dense irregular connective tissue in
which radially arranged trabaculae of smooth muscle cells were seen (Fig. 5). The connective tissue
trabeculae from tunica albuginea were thicker and made up of densely arranged collagen and elastic fibers
with scattered adipose tissue in the body and free part of the penis. Similar findings were observed in all
domestic animals by Trautmann and Fiebiger (1957) and Eurell and Frappier (2006). The helicine arteries
contained epithelioid smooth muscle cells in the tunica intima widely distributed in the corpus
cavernosum penis (Fig. 5, 6). These observations are in accordance with the findings of Eurell and
Frappier (2006) in boars. The sinuses of the corpus cavernosum penis were large in the root while they
were small in the body and tip of the boar penis. The two large vessels running longitudinally one on
either side ventro-laterally within the corpus cavernosum penis. These observations were almost
coinciding with the findings of Trautmann and Fiebiger (1957) in all domestic animals. The corpus
cavernosum penis made up of collagen and elastic fibers. The elastic fibers were aboundant in the corpus
spongiosum than the corpus cavernosum (Fig. 7) which was in accordance with statements made by
Babinski et al. (2005) in wild boars. In addition to collagen and elastic fibers few smooth muscle fibers
were also present in corpus spongiosum at bulbous urethra (Fig. 8). The corpus spongiosum was reduced
at the tip of the penis in boar in acceptance with the findings of Trotter (1959) statement who stated that
the erectile tissue was little in the glans penis of bulls.
The tip of the penis was intimately covered by visceral layer of the prepuce which was lined by stratified
squamous epithelium in total agreement to the findings of Trotter (1959) in bulls. The tunica albuginea
beneath the epithelium was made up of loosely and irregularly arranged collagen fibers. The number of
nerve bundles and blood capillaries are distributed in the tunica albuginea. An extensive erectile venous
plexes were present in the tunica albuginea. These observations are almost similar to the reports of
Trautmann and Fiebiger (1957) and Eurell and Frappier (2006) in boars. Parietal and the visceral layers of
internal part of the prepuce was lined by stratified squamous epithelium which formed in foldings called
epithelial pegs (EP) in the parietal layer. There was an outer fibrous coat composed of loose and
irregularly arranged collagen fibers forming the hypodermis of the parietal layer (Fig. 9). The large
solitary lymphatic nodules were presented in the internal layer of the prepuce. The findings concurred
with the observations of Trautmann and Fiebiger (1957) in domestic animals. The urethra was lined by
transitional type with rare patches of stratified cuboidal or columnar epithelium from bulbous to the
external urethral orifice. The external uretral orifice was lined by transitional epithelium. The urethral
epithelium was infiltrated with lymphocytes especially in the tip of the penis (Fig. 10). These
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observations were almost in confirmation with the findings of Thandavamurthy (1975) in Indian buffalo
bulls, Ghoshal and Bal (1976) in goats, Asteriadis (1979) in ruminants and boars, Garcia et al (2000) in
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 Vol 7 (10) Oct ’17
International Journal of Livestock Research eISSN : 2277-1964 NAAS Score -5.36

collared peccary, bulls and domestic pigs and Eurell and Frappier (2006) in boars. Histometrical
measurements revealed that the average thickness of the transitional epithelium at root, body and tip were
27.3 ± 1.42 µm, 58.5 ± 1.42 µm and 78 ± 1.42 µm respectively in boar penis.

Fig 9: Photomicrograph showing internal part of the
prepuce of boar penis. Masson’s trichome 10X. Parietal
Layer of Prepuce(PLP), Stratified Squamous
Epithelium(SSE), Hypodermis(HD), Lymphatic
Infiltration(LI) and Visceral layer of prepuce.
Fig 10: Photomicrograph showing tip of boar penis.
Masson’s trichome 10X. Urethra (URT), Corpus
Spongiosum Penis(CSP), Tunica Albugenia(TA),
Helicine Artery(HA) and Lymphatic Infiltration(LI).

Conclusion
The boar penis was fibroelastic in nature with predominance of collagen fibers. Corpus cavernosum penis
and corpus spongiosum penis were reduced towards the tip of the boar penis. The helicine arteries were
found in corpus cavernosum penis. The transitional epithelium thickness increased from root to the tip of
the boar penis.

Acknowledgement
The authors are very thankful to the P.V Narsimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University to carry out the
present work.
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