Comparison of the blood vessel complexes of the human and bovine male gonads

The aim of the study was to compare the blood vessel network of the human and bovine male gonads, paying special attention to differences resulting from mediastinum testis localisation. Two groups of specimens were compared. Each group consisted of 50 corro-sive die casts of the testicular and spermatic cord vessels of bovine and human gonads respectively. In each group 20 gonads had only the arterial vessels injected, another 20 only the veins, while in 10 gonads both arteries and veins were injected. The die casts were examined with a stereoscopic binocular as well as an optic microscope. The different testicular vascular patterns in humans and bulls were observed. In humans the intratesticular arteries branch off the arterial network of the tunica albuginea and mediastinum testis. The former runs centripetally, the latter cen-trifugally. Analogically, the intratesticular veins emptying into the tunica albug-inea venous network run centrifugally and those emptying into the mediasti-num testis plexus run centripetally. In bulls the arterial vessels run centripetally, later forming a helical, screw-like layer to give off centrifugal branches. Venous vessels run centrifugally and empty into the venous plexus of the tunica albug-inea. (Folia Morphol 2008; 67: 179–185) Key words: arteries, veins, human testis, bovine testis, comparative morpholog