The effects of testosterone on the mice pinealocytes: a quantitative study.
In order to determine the effects of testosterone upon the function of the pineal gland we quantitated, under the electron microscope, the number of dense-core vesicles, lysosomes, lipid droplets and the fractional volume of the pineal gland components in adult male mice. We studied six groups of mice submitted to different treatments as follows: treated with testosterone propionate (0.1 mg/10 g body weight for 15 consecutive days), castrated and the respective control mice. In mice treated with testosterone we observed a decrease in the number and fractional volume of dense-core vesicles and an increase in the fractional volume of lysosomes and lipid droplets. In castrated mice, without treatment, we observed a decrease in the number of lysosomes and an increase in the number and fractional volume of dense-core vesicles. These results show that testosterone is closely related to the secretory process of mice pinealocytes, playing an inhibitory role upon the functional activity of the pineal gland.
Redins
C A
CA
Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal do Espítito Santo, Vitória, Brasil. redins@npd.ufes.br
Novaes
J C
JC
Torres
K B
KB
D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
D013739:Testosterone