Summary
Active male gerbils were rendered unilaterally cryptorchid and the enzymatic changes were studied after 48, 60 and 100 days. The histochemical observations revealed inhibition of alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, 5-nucleotidase, adenosine-tri-phosphatase and succinic dehydrogenase activities in the germinal elements of the seminiferous tubules. The non-specific esterase and succinic dehydrogenase activities increased in the Leydig cells to certain extent. The sudanophilic lipids increased in the Sertoli cells and the interstitial cells. An attempt has been made to approach the intricate problem of the spermatogenesis in order to understand the sequence of certain enzymatic activities in the gerbil testis in which spermatogenesis is suppressed when one of the testes is lodged inside the abdominal cavity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Clegg, E. J.: Studies on artificial cryptorchidism: Degenerative and regenerative changes in the germinal epithelium of the rat testis. J. Endocr. 27, 241–251 (1963).
—: Studies on artificial cryptorchidism: Compensatory changes in the scrotal testes of unilaterally cryptorchid rats. J. Endocr. 33, 259–268 (1965).
Elfving, G.: Effects of local application of heat on the physiology of the testis (thesis), Helsinki (1950).
Gomori, G.: Microscopic histochemistry. Principles and practice. Chicago: Chicago University Press 1952.
Hayashi, M., K. Ogata, T. Shiraogawa, Z. Murakami, and S. Tuneishi: The effect of unilateral and bilateral cryptorchidism upon the activities of beta-glucuronidase, lipase and esterase in the rat testis. Acta path. jap. 8, 113–126 (1958).
Huggins, C., and S. H. Moulton: Esterase of the testis and other tissues. J. exp. Med. 88, 169–179 (1948).
Kormano, M., M. Harkonen, and E. Kontinen: Effect of experimental cryptorchidism on the histochemically demonstrable dehydrogenases of the rat testis. Endocrinology 74, 44–51 (1964).
McManus, J. F. A.: The demonstration of certain fatty substances in paraffin sections. J. Path. Bact. 58, 93–95 (1946).
Nachlas, M. M., K. C. Tsou, E. Desouza, C. S. Cheng, and A. M. Seligman: Cytochemical demonstration of succinic dehydrogenase by the use of a new p-Nitrophenyl substituted Ditetrazole. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 5, 420–436 (1957).
Nelson, W. C.: Mammalian spermatogenesis: effect of experimental cryptorchidism in the rat and non-descent of the testis in man. Recent Progr. Hormone Res. 6, 29–62 (1951).
Padykula, H. A., and E. Herman: The specificity of histochemical method for adenosonetri-phosphatase. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 3, 170–195 (1955).
Pearse, A. G. E.: Histochemistry. Theoretical and applied. London: J. & A. Churchill 1960.
—, and J. L. Reis: The histochemical demonstration of a specific phosphatase (5-nucleotidase). Biochem. J. 50, 534–536 (1952).
Sakatoku, J., and T. Miura: Alkaline phosphatase in genitourinary tract of the experimentally cryptorchid rats. Acta Sch. med. Univ. Kioto 34, 195–198 (1957).
Singh, K., and R. S. Mathur: A comparative study on the localization of certain enzyme activities in the testes of the Indian desert gerbil and the house shrew. Acta anat. (Basel) in Press (1968).
Steinberger, E., and W. O. Nelson: The effect of hypophysectomy, cryptorchidism, estrogen and androgen upon the level of hyaluronidase in the rat testis. Endocrinology 56, 429–444 (1955).
Turpeinen, P., O. Turpeinen, and S. Talanti: Effect of local heat in vivo on hyaluronidase, succinic dehydrogenase and phosphatases in the rat testis. Endocrinology 70, 731–737 (1962).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Singh, K., Mathur, R.S. Histochemical demonstration of certain testicular enzymes of the Indian desert gerbil Meriones hurrianae jerdon and their response to unilateral cryptorchidism. Histochemie 15, 204–211 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305884
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305884