A Duke study in mice suggests the little-studied rete ovarii, a tubule network attached to the ovary, may help move fluid toward the ovary and produce proteins linked to ovarian function. Its role in fertility and relevance to people remain unconfirmed.
Described in humans more than 150 years ago, the structure was later dismissed as a functionless remnant and dropped from textbooks. New imaging identified three regions in mice, and experiments suggested it might affect genes involved in hormone-receptor function.
Researchers say the rete ovarii is also found in other mammals and point to similarities between mouse and human sex-organ development as reasons the findings might be relevant to people.
