[A histochemical study on the testes from patients with idiopathic male infertility: identification of acidic glycoconjugates in the seminiferous tubular walls].
Acidic glycoconjugates in the seminiferous tubular walls in the testes from patients with idiopathic male infertility was identified light microscopically with the sensitized high iron diamine method in combination with digestions with chondroitinase ABC, chondroitinase B or testicular hyaluronidase. Tissue specimens were obtained by testicular biopsy from 37 patients with idiopathic male infertility and 9 fertile adult males. Chondroitin sulfate A, B and C were identified in the tubular walls of oligozoospermic patients with idiopathic male infertility irrespective of the thickness of the walls. Similar results were obtained in the tubular walls of the testes from normal males. On the other hand, chondroitin sulfate B was a main acidic glycoconjugate in the tubular walls of the testes from azoospermic patients with idiopathic male infertility irrespective of the thickness of the walls. These findings suggest that the etiological factors of the impaired spermatogenesis in patients with idiopathic male infertility are not only the disturbance of nutritional transport across the seminiferous tubular walls due to peritubular thickening but the functional alterations of the tubular walls associated with changes in components of acidic glycoconjugates in the tubular walls. The pathogenesis of oligozoospermia does not seem to be similar to that of azoosspermia since components of acidic glycoconjugates in the peritubular tissues between the two types of disorders are quite different.
Department of Urology, Nagoya University School of Medicine.
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Mishima
D000328:Adult; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000032:analysis*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000378:metabolism; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology
D006001:Glycoconjugates