Summary
Study of the fine structure of the human interstitial cells after prolonged stimulation with human gonadotrophin reveals a striking increase in the quantity of the agranular endoplasmic reticulum. This is accompanied by an increase in the number of mitochondria which exhibit more extensive cristae, collections of intramitochondrial lipid and aggregations of electron-dense granular deposits. A rise is also evident in the number of lipofuscin pigment deposits and granular membrane-bounded bodies, both of which exhibit acid phosphatase activity. These changes after gonadotrophic stimulation are discussed in relation to steroid biosynthesis.
In the pretreatment biopsies of these patients aged between 25–35 years, some interstitial cells contain intranuclear crystals which exhibit a hexagonal structure. The relationship of these intranuclear crystals to the cytoplasmic crystals of Reinke is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barka, T.: Electron histochemical localization of acid phosphatase activity in the small intestine of mouse. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 12, 229–238 (1963).
Blanchette, J.: Ovarian steroid cells. II. The lutein cell. J. Cell Biol. 31, 517–542 (1966).
Brown, J. B.: Chemical method for the determination of oestriol, oestrone and oestradiol in human urine. Biochem. 60, 185–193 (1955).
-K. J. Catt, and F. I. R. Martin: Preparation of gonadotrophin and growth hormone from human pituitaries for clinical use. J. Endocr. (In press).
Christensen, A. K.: The fine structure of the interstitial tissue of the rat testis at various ages and after experimental treatment. Anat. Rec. 133, 367 (abst.) (1959).
Christensen, A. K.: The fine structure of testicular interstitial cells in guinea pigs. J. Cell Biol. 26, 911–935 (1965).
—, and D. W. Fawcett: The normal fine structure of opossum testicular interstitial cells. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 9, 653–670 (1961).
—: The fine structure of testicular interstitial cells in mice. Amer. J. Anat. 118, 551–572 (1966).
Crabo, B.: Fine structure of the interstitial cells of the rabbit testes. Z. Zellforsch. 61, 587–604 (1963).
de Kretser, D. M.: The fine structure of the testicular interstitial cells in men of normal androgenic status. Z. Zellforsch. 80, 594–609 (1967).
-, H. P. Taft, J. B. Brown, J. H. Evans, and B. Hudson: Endocrine and histological studies on oligospermic men treated with human pituitary and chorionic gonadotrophin. (In preparation).
Donini, P., D. Puzzuoli, and R. Montezemolo: Purification of gonadotrophin from human menopausal urine. Acta. endocr. (Kbh.) 45, 321–328 (1964).
Fawcett, D. W., and M. H. Burgos: Studies on the fine structure of the mammalian testes. II. The human interstitial tissue. Amer. J. Anat. 107, 245–269 (1960).
Fishman, W. H., S. S. Goldman, and R. de Lellis: Dual localization of B-Glucuronidase in endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes. Nature (Lond.) 213, 457–460 (1967).
Frank, A.: Electron microscopic localisation of acid phosphatase in lipofuscin granules and other structures in the interstitial cells of guinea pig testis. Anat. Rec. 157, 245 (abst.) (1967).
Goldfischer, S., H. Villaverde, and R. Forschirm: The demonstration of acid hydrolase, thermostable reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide tetrazolium reductase and peroxidase activities in human lipofuscin pigment granules. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 14, 641–652 (1966).
Gordon, G. B., L. R. Miller, and K. G. Bensch: Electron microscopic observations of the gonad in the testicular feminization syndrome. Lab. Invest. 13, 152–160 (1964).
Grino, E., and N. J. Reissenweber: Histochemical and Endocrine Studies in three cases of male pseudohermaphroditism. Acta. endocr. (Kbh.) 54, 385–398 (1967).
Hudson, B., J. Coghlan, A. Dulmanis, M. Wintour, and I. Ekkel: The estimation of testosterone in biological fluids. I. Testosterone in plasma. Aust. J. exp. Biol. med. Sci. XLI, 235–246 (1963).
Leeson, C. R.: Observations on the fine structure of rat interstitial tissue. Acta anat. (Basel) 52, 34–48 (1963).
Murakami, M.: Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen am interstitiellen Gewebe des Rattenhodens, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Leydigschen Zwischenzellen. Z. Zellforsch. 72, 139–156 (1966).
Peachey, L. D.: Electron microscopic observations on the accumulation of divalent cation in intramitochondrial granules. J. Cell Biol. 20, 95–109 (1964).
Pearse, A. G. E.: Histochemistry, theoretical and applied. London: J. & A. Churchill Ltd. 1961.
Reynolds, E. S.: The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron opaque stain in electron microscopy. J. Cell Biol. 17, 208–212 (1963).
Richardson, K. C.: The fine structure of autonomic nerve endings in smooth muscle of the rat vas deferens. J. Anat. (Lond.) 96, 427–442 (1962).
Sabatini, D. D., K. Bensch, and R. J. Barrnett: Cytochemistry and electron microscopy. The preservation of cellular ultrastructure and enzymatic activity by aldehyde fixation. J. Cell Biol. 17, 19–58 (1963).
Schoen, E. J., and L. T. Samuels: Testicular androgen biosynthesis following corticotrophin and human chorionic gonadotrophin administration. Acta endocr. (Kbh.) 50, 365–378 (1965).
Schwarz, W., and H. J. Merker: Die Hodenzwischenzellen der Ratte nach Hypophysectomie und nach Behandlung mit Chorion Gonadotrophin und Amphenon B. Z. Zellforsch. 65, 272–284 (1965).
Toren, D., K. M. Menon, E. Forcheilli, and R. I. Dorfman: In vitro enzymatic cleavage of the cholesterol side-chain in rat testis preparations. Steroids 3, 381–386 (1964).
Uozumi, T., R. Nozaki, K. Matsumoto, T. Seki, and J. Furuyama: Endocrinological Studies of a case of Mosaicism (XO/XY/XXY) with clinical appearance of testicular feminization syndrome. Acta endocr. (Kbh.) 54, 193–207 (1967).
Watson, M. L.: Staining of tissue sections for electron microscopy with heavy metals. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 4, 475–478 (1958).
Yasuzumi, G., Y. Nakai, I. Tsubo, M. Yasuda, and T. Sugioka: The fine structure of nuclei as revealed by electron microscopy IV. The intranuclear inclusion formation of Leydig cells of aging human testes. Exp. Cell Res. 45, 261–276 (1967).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The author is indebted to Dr. J. W. Johnstone and Dr. A. Long for the human material used in this study. Thanks are also due to Dr. H. P. Taft for helpful suggestions in the management of these patients, to Professor B. Hudson for the estimations of plasma testosterone and to Dr. J. B. Brown for the supply of human pituitary gonadotrophin and the estimations of urinary oestrogens. The technical help of Mr. T. Mezciems and the photographic assistance of Mr. J. S. Simmons F. R. P. S. and Miss S. Flett is gratefully acknowledged.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
de Kretser, D.M. Changes in the fine structure of the human testicular interstitial cells after treatment with human gonadotrophins. Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 83, 344–358 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336863
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336863