Effect of testicular capsulotomy on lipid droplets in the seminiferous tubules of rats.
OBJECTIVE
In order to reveal the histochemical alteration that might occur during the processes of the spermatogenic disruption induced by testicular capsulotomy, the location and alteration of lipid droplets in the seminiferous tubules were observed in the present study.


METHODS
Osmium tetroxide was used to demonstrate the lipid droplets in the seminiferous tubules of capsulotomized and sham-operated control testes.


RESULTS
In the seminiferous tubules of the sham-operated rat testes, many small lipid droplets were located close to the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules. But for the capsulotomized testes, the lipid droplets in the seminiferous tubules had increased in size and number, with many lipid droplets migrated towards the lumen of the tubules.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated that a progressive fatty degeneration occurred in the seminiferous tubules after testicular capsulotomy.
Qin
D N
DN
Department of Physiology, Shantou University School of Medicine, China. lqchen@mailserv.stu.edu.cn
Lung
M A
MA
D000818:Animals; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000601:surgery*; D014018:Tissue Distribution