Pathologic copulatory lock in a genetically engineered laboratory mouse breeding pair Journal Article


Authors: Leung, G.; Ricart-Arbona, R.; Monette, S.; Lipman, N. S.
Article Title: Pathologic copulatory lock in a genetically engineered laboratory mouse breeding pair
Abstract: A breeding pair of genetically engineered laboratory mice (Mus musculus) presented in apparent copulatory lock (coital tie). After anesthetizing the animals, gentle traction was used to separate the pair at which point a vaginal prolapse was detected and the penis was covered with black, firm, dry crusts and noted to have a solid pale, tan, firm cylindrical mass adhering to its glans. The vaginal prolapse was reduced and the female was returned to its cage. The male mouse had a severely distended bladder which could not be expressed and was euthanized. Histopathologic examination of the distal two-thirds of the penis revealed diffuse, acute coagulative necrosis. The mass adhered to the distal penis was a homogenous granular eosinophilic material consistent with a copulatory plug. While copulatory plugs and locks have been described in some rodent species, they have not been reported in laboratory mice. While the cause of the adherence of the plug to the penis could not be determined, we hypothesize that its adherence to both the penis and the vagina led to the lock and subsequently to ischemic necrosis of the distal penis. © The Author(s) 2023.
Keywords: adult; controlled study; histopathology; nonhuman; animal cell; mouse; animal; animals; mice; animal tissue; pathology; necrosis; experimental mouse; histology; physiology; experimental animal; behavior; pelvic organ prolapse; uterus prolapse; virus pneumonia; sexual behavior; penis; breeding; murine hepatitis virus; surface property; retinoic acid receptor gamma; sendai virus; rodents; coagulative necrosis; light dark cycle; reverse osmosis; sexual behavior, animal; bacterium colony; minute virus of mice; humans; human; male; female; article; parvoviridae; genetically engineered mouse strain; copulation; organisms and models; uterine prolapse; ischemic necrosis; suffocation
Journal Title: Laboratory Animals
Volume: 57
Issue: 6
ISSN: 0023-6772
Publisher: Sage Publications  
Date Published: 2023-12-01
Start Page: 664
End Page: 668
Language: English
DOI: 10.1177/00236772231168185
PUBMED: 37070346
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC11578629
DOI/URL:
Notes: The MSK Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA008748) is acknowledged in the PubMed record and PDF. Corresponding MSK author is Glory Leung -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Neil S Lipman
    86 Lipman
  2. Sebastien Monette
    148 Monette
  3. Glory Leung
    1 Leung