title: Quantitative morphology of the testicular tubular epithelium in the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).
abstract: Ultrastructural features and morphometric evaluations of water buffalo seminiferous epithelium are reported for the 6 phases of the spermatogenic cycle. The relative Sertoli cell volume varies between 30% (phase 4) and 39% (phase 8), the calculated volume of a Sertoli cell between 7118 microns3 and 8968 microns3 (phase 4). Smooth ER is the organelle that exhibits the most prominent changes in Sertoli cells during the spermatogenic cycle: it occupies about 6% in phase 3 and 21% in phase 4. All spermatogenic cells of the same clone present cytoplasmic bridges among them. From preleptotene (about 470 microns3) to late diplotene (about 2300 microns3) the volume of a primary spermatocyte increases nearly 5-fold; their nuclear volumes increase 3.5-fold in the same period. Secondary spermatocytes are found only in phase 4 of the cycle. Due to partial cell necrosis and autolysis late maturation phase spermatids display not more than 25% of the size of early cap phase spermatids. 63% of all numerically possible germ cells disappear from the seminiferous epithelium during spermatogenesis. Particularly heavy cell loss is observed in phase 4 and involves the spermatogonial fraction as well as cells during the second meiotic division.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anatomie, Universität Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wrobel
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Pawar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013087:Spermatids / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*