Validation of macroscopic maturity stages of the Patagonian red octopus Enteroctopus megalocyathus

Author(s):  
Nicolas Ortiz

Testes and ovaries of Enteroctopus megalocyathus collected along the Patagonian Atlantic coast were analysed histologically to validate the macroscopic maturity scales adopted for this species. Changes through the course of development of the seminiferous tubules and of the oocyte/follicular cell complexes were characterized and these were classified into five and six microscopic categories of development respectively. A histological maturity index, based on the frequencies of microscopic categories, was used to assess the correspondence between macroscopic maturation stages and the microscopic level of development of the gonadal tissue. Seminiferous tubules showed a regular and progressive pattern of microscopic development within each macroscopic stage and between consecutive macroscopic stages. However, a minority of males exhibiting seminiferous tubule with sperm did not display macroscopic characteristics of the mature-spawning stage. In females, an overlapping of microscopic categories was observed in maturing macroscopic stages. Previtellogenic oocytes were not present at mature-spawning or spent stages. Significant changes in the histological maturity index were observed between consecutive macroscopic stages, confirming the validity of macroscopic maturity scales of both sexes. In addition, by considering both macroscopic and microscopic criteria, it was possible to determine the overall state of development and functioning of the reproductive system during sexual maturation of this species.

Author(s):  
K. C. Liu ◽  
S. F. Tsay

In the histologic and electron microscopic study of the male reproductive system of bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, a vesicular system associated with spermiogenesis was observed. It appeared in the lumenal space of the seminiferous tubule (Fig. 1), in the heads of spermatids (Fig. 2), associated with the chromatins of the spermatid (Fig. 4). As deduced from sections, this vesicular system consisted of vesicles of various size or a large group of waving and twisted tubules (Fig. 3), After routine procedure of treatment for electron microscopy, the lumens of both of the vesicles and tubules were electron lucent.In human, vesicles and vesicular system associated with reproductive cell and tissue were reported. In abnormal spermiogenesis, flower-like body, actually vesicles, and giant vesicle associated with the head of spermatid were observed. In both cases the number of vesicle was limited from a single one to a few.


2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (Suppl 2) ◽  
pp. S46
Author(s):  
YKL Koda ◽  
E Vidolin ◽  
RC Mattar ◽  
GH Yonamine ◽  
PW Caldeira ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 2123-2127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiago Pereira Arantes ◽  
Welber Daniel Zanetti Lopes ◽  
Roberta Machado Ferreira ◽  
Juliana de Souza Pinto Pieroni ◽  
Vanessa Marigo Rocha Pinto ◽  
...  

The present research aimed to describe possible histopathological alterations in the reproductive system (testicles and epididymis) of male dogs experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Canines (n=10) serologically negative for T. gondii were selected and distributed into three experimental groups: GI, 3 inoculated with 2.0 x 10(5)P strain oocysts; GII, 3 infected with 1.0 x 10(6)RH strain tachyzoites; and GIII, 4 control dogs. Antibody research (IFAT) against T. gondii was realized. Toxoplasma gondii infection was confirmed by seroconversion of the 6 males infected with tachyzoites and oocysts from postinoculation day (PID) 7 and 14, respectively. At PID 70, all dogs were submitted to orchiectomy and testicle and epididymis samples were collected and histologically processed for examination under optical microscope. The following alterations were diagnosed: mild and moderate mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate in the epididymis, moderate cellular edema, hydropic degeneration and moderate interstitial fibrosis in seminiferous tubules. The histopathological results in the present research, isolation of T. gondii in testicle and epididymis fragments by immunohistochemistry and results from the literature by other authors in different tissues, all infer that the alterations observed in dogs infected with T. gondii are suggestive of toxoplasmic infection.


Reproduction ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
R P Hooley ◽  
M Paterson ◽  
P Brown ◽  
K Kerr ◽  
P T K Saunders

Spermatogenesis is a complex process that cannot be modelledin vitro. The somatic Sertoli cells (SCs) within the seminiferous tubules perform a key role in supporting maturation of germ cells (GCs). Progress has been made in determining what aspects of SC function are critical to maintenance of fertility by developing rodent models based on the Cre/LoxP system; however, this is time-consuming and is only applicable to mice. The aim of the present study was to establish methods for direct injection of adenoviral vectors containing shRNA constructs into the testis as a way of inducing target-selective knock-downin vivo. We describe here a series of experiments using adenovirus expressing a green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene. Injection via the efferent ductules resulted in SC-specific expression of GFP; expression levels paralleled the amount of infective viral particles injected. At the highest doses of virus seminiferous tubule architecture were grossly disturbed and immune cell invasion noted. At lower concentrations, the expression of GFP was variable/negligible, the seminiferous tubule lumen was maintained but stage-dependent GC loss and development of numerous basal vacuoles was observed. These resembled intercellular dilations of SC junctional complexes previously described in rats and may be a consequence of disturbances in SC function due to interaction of the viral particles with the coxsackie/adenovirus receptor that is a component of the junctional complexes within the blood testis barrier. In conclusion, intra-testicular injection of adenoviral vectors disturbs SC functionin vivoand future work will therefore focus on the use of lentiviral delivery systems.


1962 ◽  
Vol s3-103 (63) ◽  
pp. 385-391
Author(s):  
A. H. BAILLIE

The ground substance of the testis of the albino mouse is PAS-positive but not metachromatic, and probably highly aggregated. The basement of the seminiferous tubules is intensely PAS-positive, metachromatic, and possibly not so highly aggregated. The reactivity of the ground substance to the PAS reaction and toluidine blue is tentatively ascribed to the presence of chondroitin sulphate C: this compound, previously known to contain N acetyl-galactosamine, glucuronic acid, tyrosine and tryptophane, is associated with arginine. The genesis of the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubule is shown to include the formation of a sheath of atypical elongated fibroblasts, the secretion of a PAS positive, metachromatic substance associated with arginine between this sheath and the seminiferous tubule, the appearance of mitochondria in the cells of the sheath, and lastly, the acquisition of alkaline phosphatase by these fibroblasts and its spread to the intervening ground substance. These changes are thought to be related to the structural and nutritional requirements of the seminiferous tubules. In its intense positive reaction to PAS and in its metachromasy, the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubule agrees with the ground substance adjacent to sites of active protein metabolism, such as growing tumours, embryonic organs, hair follicles, and skin.


1993 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Monet-Kuntz ◽  
I Fontaine

The response of lamb Sertoli cells to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was investigated by measuring transferrin secretion in seminiferous tubule cell cultures throughout the non-pubertal and the prepubertal periods. Cells could be cultured from birth until they attained a testicular weight of 19 g. The characteristics of individual dose-response curves were compared according to the breed, season of birth and testicular weight of the lambs. At the same season of birth and within a given testis weight range, dose-response curves of Romanov and Ile-de-France lambs were similar. Within a given testis weight range, spring-born animals exhibited a higher maximal transferrin secretion than autumn-born lambs, but the ED50 was similar. The main factor of variation of the dose-response curve parameters was the testicular weight of the lambs: the amplitude of FSH response increased 3-fold from a testicular weight of 6 g onwards, i.e. from the appearance of spermatogonia in seminiferous tubules. The ED50 increased 5-fold from 11 g onwards, i.e. from the beginning of the prepubertal period. Thus, Sertoli cells become less sensitive to FSH as spermatogenesis develops in seminiferous tubules. This phenomenon is largely the result of higher phosphodiesterase activity and is greatly reduced by 1-methyl-3-isobutyl-xanthine (MIX).


PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. e33735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin He ◽  
Qun Wang ◽  
Xinkun Jin ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Lili Chen ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 145 (5) ◽  
pp. 1027-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Tripiciano ◽  
Carmelina Peluso ◽  
Anna Rita Morena ◽  
Fioretta Palombi ◽  
Mario Stefanini ◽  
...  

The potent smooth muscle agonist endothelin-1 (ET-1) is involved in the local control of seminiferous tubule contractility, which results in the forward propulsion of tubular fluid and spermatozoa, through its action on peritubular myoid cells. ET-1, known to be produced in the seminiferous epithelium by Sertoli cells, is derived from the inactive intermediate big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) through a specific cleavage operated by the endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE), a membrane-bound metalloprotease with ectoenzymatic activity. The data presented suggest that the timing of seminiferous tubule contractility is controlled locally by the cyclic interplay between different cell types. We have studied the expression of ECE by Sertoli cells and used myoid cell cultures and seminiferous tubule explants to monitor the biological activity of the enzymatic reaction product. Northern blot analysis showed that ECE-1 (and not ECE-2) is specifically expressed in Sertoli cells; competitive enzyme immunoassay of ET production showed that Sertoli cell monolayers are capable of cleaving big ET-1, an activity inhibited by the ECE inhibitor phosphoramidon. Microfluorimetric analysis of intracellular calcium mobilization in single cells showed that myoid cells do not respond to big endothelin, nor to Sertoli cell plain medium, but to the medium conditioned by Sertoli cells in the presence of big ET-1, resulting in cell contraction and desensitization to further ET-1 stimulation; in situ hybridization analysis shows regional differences in ECE expression, suggesting that pulsatile production of endothelin by Sertoli cells (at specific “stages” of the seminiferous epithelium) may regulate the cyclicity of tubular contraction; when viewed in a scanning electron microscope, segments of seminiferous tubules containing the specific stages characterized by high expression of ECE were observed to contract in response to big ET-1, whereas stages with low ECE expression remained virtually unaffected. These data indicate that endothelin-mediated spatiotemporal control of rhythmic tubular contractility might be operated by Sertoli cells through the cyclic expression of ECE-1, which is, in turn, dependent upon the timing of spermatogenesis.


2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alifah Hayati ◽  
Binti Yunaida ◽  
I.B. Rai Pidada ◽  
Win Darmanto ◽  
Dwi Winarni

This research has done to investigate the effect of 2-Methoxyethanol on the testicular histology of the male mice and also the influence the length of time after administration 2-ME stopped in the recovery of the spermatogenic cells and the diameter also the thicknes of seminiferous tubule. Thirty BALB/C male mice 8–9 week old, weighed 28–30 grams body weight. Those mice separated to 6 groups with 5 male mice each group. Those mice were treated with 2-ME 200 mg/kg body weight daily by intra peritoneal injection, within 3 weeks (K1). To investigate the influence the length of time after administration 2-ME stopped, the male mice after treated by 2-ME in 3 weeks also given by the length of time after 2-ME administration stopped 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks (P1, P2, P3 and P4). The control animal given by intraperitoneal administration of saline. Histological observation was performed on the number of spermatogonium, primary spermatocyte, oval spermatid and the diameter also epithelial thickness of seminiferous tubules. The data were analyzed by One-Sample T-test to investigate the differences between K0 and K1. One Way ANOVA to investigate the influence the length of time after 2-ME administration stopped in the P1, P2, P3 and P4 and then continuing by LSD (Least Significant Difference) to show the differences groups of treatment. The result showed that administration 2-ME could destroy the seminiferous tubules in the testes. Its presented by the decreasing of the number spermatogonium, primary spermatocyte, oval spermatid and diameter also epithelial thickness of seminiferous tubule. The length of time after administration 2-ME stopped could recover seminiferous tubules condition. Its presented by the increasing of the number spermatogonium, primary spermatocyte, oval spermatid, and diameter also epithelial tickness of seminiferous tubules. The conclution of this research were, 2-ME could destroy the testicular histology of the male mice and the length of time after administration 2-ME stopped have linear correlation with seminiferous tubules recovery.


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