Ultrastructure of Leydig cells in the testis of chicken submitted to early embryonic surgical bursectomy.
Different developmental stages of maturation in the Leydig cells in the interstitial tissue are described. The ultrastructure of Leydig cells in chickens submitted to early embryonic surgical bursectomy was compared to sham-operated controls. Subsequent quantitative studies in the testis of the 17.5 days old chick embryo and in newly hatched chickens showed a greater number of differentiated Leydig cells in the bursectomized animals as compared with controls. This phenomenon has been observed at both ages studied and is in agreement with the higher testosterone production previously described in the bursectomized chickens.
D000818:Animals; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013737:Testis / Q000196:embryology*