Summary
The ultrastructure of the lamina propria of human seminiferous tubules was analyzed in normal specimens and compared to biopsies showing great thickenning of this area in light microscopy.
The contractile cells are stellate in shape, the intercellular gaps between their branchings being less than 150 Å. The cytoplasmic features of these cells are similar to those described by Ross and Long (1966) and do not differ significantly in the pathological cases examined.
The intercellular components, namely collagen fibers, microfibrils and an incomplete basement membrane-like coating of the contractile cells, are strikingly increased in the thickenned lamina propria, although the number of layers making up this structure needs not be increased. Occasionally, the intercellular space is occupied by only one of these materials.
The distribution of collagen permits identification of two main patterns in the thickenned lamina propria: a) one where the basement membrane of the seminiferous epithelium is separated from the first layer of contractile cells by a wide collagen zone, and b) another case where the layer displaying greater thickness because of increased collagen deposition is located further away from the germinal epithelium.
The functional activity of the contractile cells, the physiological implication of structural alterations of the lamina propria and the necessity to correlate these observations to andrological findings, are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baumgarten, H. G., Holstein, A. F.: Noradrenerge Nervenfasern im Hoden von Mammaliern und anderen Vertebraten. Acta neuroveg. (Wien), Suppl.-Bd. 10, 563–572 (1971).
Baumgarten, H. G., Holstein, A. F., Rosengren, E.: Arrangement, ultrastructure, and adrenergic innervation of smooth musculature of the ductuli efferentes, ductus epididymidis and ductus deferens of man. Z. Zellforsch. 120, 37–79 (1971).
Böck, P., Breitenecker, G., Lunglmayr, G.: Kontraktile Fibroblasten (Myofibroblasten) in der Lamina propria der Hodenkanälchen vom Menschen. Z. Zellforsch. 133, 519–527 (1972).
Burgos, M. H., Vitale-Calpe, R., Aoki, A.: Fine structure of the testis and its functional significance. In: The testis (Johnson, Gomes and Vandemark, eds.) p. 551–649, chap. 9. New York: Academic Press 1970.
Clermont, Y.: Contractile elements in the limiting membrane of seminiferous tubules of the rat. Exp. Cell Res. 15. 438–440 (1958).
De Kretser, D. M.: The fine structure of the immature human testis in hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Virchows Arch. Abt. B 1, 283–296 (1968).
De la Balze, F. A., Mancini, R. A., Arrillaga, F., Andrada, J., Vilar, O., Gurtman, A. I., Davidson, O. W.: Puberal maturation of the normal human testis. A histologic study. J. Clin. Endocr. 20, 266–285 (1960).
Dym, M., Fawcett, D. W.: The blood-testis barrier in the rat and the physiological compartmentation of the seminiferous epithelium. Biol. Reprod. 3, 308–326 (1970).
Fawcett, D. W., Leak, L. V., Heidger, P. M.: Electron microscopic observations on the structural components of the blood testis barrier. J. Reprod. Fertil. Suppl. 10, 105–122 (1970).
Gabbiani, G., Hirschel, B. J., Ryan, G. B., Statkov, P. R., Majno, G.: Granulation tissue as a contractile organ. A study of structure and function. J. exp. Med. 135, 719–734 (1972).
Gabbiani, G., Majno, G.: Dupuytren's contracture: Fibroblast contraction? Amer. J. Path. 66, 131–146 (1972).
Gabbiani, G., Ryan, G. B., Majno, G.: Presence of modified fibroblasts in granulation tissue and their possible role in wound contraction. Experientia (Basel), 27, 549–550 (1971).
Güldner, F. H., Wolff, J. R., Keyserlingk, D. Graf.: Fibroblasts as a part of the contractile system in duodenal villi of rat. Z. Zellforsch. 135, 349–360 (1972).
Holstein, A. F., Wulfhekel, U.: Die Semidünnschnitt-Technik als Grundlage für eine cytologische Beurteilung der Spermatogenese des Menschen. Andrologie 3, 65–69 (1971).
Hovatta, O.: Contractility and structure of adult rat seminiferous tubule in organ culture. Z. Zellforsch. 130, 171–179 (1972).
Kormano, M., Hovatta, O.: Contractility and histochemistry of the myoid cell layer of the rat seminiferous tubule during postnatal development. Z. Anat. Entwickl-Gesch., 137, 239–248 (1972).
Lacy, D., Rotblat, J.: Study of normal and irradiated boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubules of the rat. Cell Res. 21, 49–70 (1960).
Langford, G. A., Heller, G. C.: Fine structure of muscle cells of the human testicular capsule: basis of testicular contractions. Science 179, 573 (1973).
Majno, G., Gabbiani, G., Hirschel, B. J., Ryan, G. B., Statkov, P. R.: Contraction of granulation tissue in vitro: Similarity with smooth muscle. Science 173, 548–549 (1971).
Mc Cord, R. C.: Fine structure observations of peritubular cell layer in the hamster testis. Protoplasma (Wien) 69, 283–289 (1970).
Mihatsch, W.: Über die Anwendung der Semidünnschnitt-Technik als Routinemethode für die Untersuchung von Hodenbiopsiematerial. Inauguraldissertation, Fachbereich Medizin, Hamburg (1973).
Montagna, W.: The structure and function of the skin, p. 407, 2nd. ed. New York: Academic Press 1962.
Niemi, M., Kormano, M.: Contractility of the seminiferous tubule of the post-natal rat testis and its response to oxytocin. Ann. Med. exp. Fenn. 43, 40–49 (1965).
Parks, H.: On the fine structure of the parotid gland of mouse and rat. Amer. J. Anat. 108, 303–329 (1961).
Reynolds, E. G.: The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron microscopy. J. Cell Biol. 17, 208–212 (1963).
Roosen-Runge, E. C.: Motions of the seminiferous tubules of rat and dog. Anat. Rec. 109, 413 (1951).
Ross, M. H.: The fine structure and development of the peritubular contractile cell component in the seminiferous tubule of the mouse. Amer. J. Anat. 121, 523–528 (1967).
Ross, M. H., Long, J. R.: Contractile cells in human seminiferous tubules. Science 153, 1271–1273 (1966).
Scott, B. L., Pease, D. C.: Electron microscopy of the salivary and lacrimal glands of the rat. Amer. J. Anat. 104, 115–161 (1959).
Setchell, B. P., Voglmayr, J. K., Waites, G.M.H.: A blood-testis barrier restricting passage from blood into rete testis but not into lymph. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 200, 73–85 (1969).
Setchell, B. P., Waites, G.M.H.: Changes in the permeability of the testicular capillaries and of the “blood-testis barrier” after injection of cadmium chloride in the rat. J. Endocr. 47, 81–86 (1970).
Suvanto, O., Kormano, M.: Effect of experimental cryptorchidism and cadmium injury on the spontaneous contractions of the seminiferous tubules of the rat testis. Virchows Arch. Abt. B 4, 217–224 (1970).
Vilar, O., Paulsen, C. A., Moore, D. J.: Electron microscopy of the human seminiferous tubules. In: The human testis (Rosemberg and C. A. Paulsen, eds.). New York: Plenum Press 1970.
Weinland, G.: Licht- und elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen der Tunica albuginea und des bindegewebigen Organgerüstes des Säugerhodens. Inauguraldissertation, Fachbereich Medizin der Universität Hamburg (1972).
Weinstock, M.: Collagen formation. Observations on its intracellular packaging and transport. Z. Zellforsch. 129, 455–470 (1972).
Wissler, R. W.: The arterial medial cell, smooth muscle or multifunctional mesenchyme? Circulation 36, 1–5 (1967).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, on leave of absence from Depto. de Biología y Genética, Sede Norte, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
Supported by Grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bustos-Obregón, E., Holstein, A.F. On structural patterns of the lamina propria of human seminiferous tubules. Z.Zellforsch 141, 413–425 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00307414
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00307414