GIAMBELLUCA M.A.

GIANNESSI F

RUFFOLI R.

English

RUFFOLI, RICCARDO

GIAMBELLUCA, MARIA

GIANNESSI, FRANCESCO

Archivio della Ricerca - Università di Pisa

ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY OF THE TESTICULAR MA-CROPHAGES IN YOUNG AND AGING MOUSER. RUFFOLI, M.A. GIAMBELLUCA, F. GIANNESSIDipartimento Morfologia Umana e Biologia Applicata, Facolta di Medicinae Chirurgia dell'Universita di Pisa.INTRODUCTION — Evidences exist that testicular macrophages (TM)and Leydig ceils (LC) are functionally coupled in young adult animals (1).Moreover, ultrastructural studies have highlighted the close structural asso-ciation between TM and LC (2, 3). Nevertheless, the functions of the TMare incompletely known. In addition, functional and morphological studiesconcerning the TM have not been carried out in old animals. The purpose ofthe present work is to examine by means of TEM the structure of the TMand their morphological relationships with the LC in aging mice.MATERIAL AND METHODS — Swiss mice 45 days and 18 months agedwere anaesthetized and perfused with aldehydes. The testes were dissectedout and cut in small pieces. The specimens were post-fixed in osmium tetro-xide, dehydrated in alcohol and embedded in Epon 812.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION — In young mice, numerous short cell pro-cesses protruded from the LC into invaginations of the TM. In these struc-tures, the cytoplasmic membrane of the TM appeared coated on the innersurface with electron dense material. Frequently, the cytoplasmic membra-nes of the TM and of the LC were parallely arranged and connected withelectron dense material. In aging mice, the structures above described wereunmodified when compared to those of young animals. Otherwise, in mostcases the cytoplasm of TM was filled with phagocytic material representedby lipofuscin granules (LG). LG are residuals deriving from enhanced lyso-somal activity and autoxidation of unutilized lipids in condition of decrea-sed steroidogenesis (4). It is possible that the progressive accumulation inthe macrophages of undigested material, such as LG, leads to cytokine over-production. Moreover, the majority of in vitro studies indicate that cytoki-nes may inhibit the testosterone secretion (6). Thus, TM could have a signi-ficant role in the mechanism of aging in the LC.REFERENCES — (1) Hutson JC et al. J Andrology 1996,17:502-508; (2) Miller SC et al.Am J Anat 1983,168:1-13; (3) Hutson JC Int Rev Cytol 1994, 149:99-143; (4) GustafsonAW Am J Anat 1987,178:312-325; (5) Gerard et al. Biochem Biochem Biophys Res Com-mun 1992, 185:154-161; (6) Hales DB In: Payne AH, Hardy MP, Russell LD (eds) TheLeydig Cell. Cache River Press, Vienna IL, pp 451-465, 1996206

Ultrastructural study of the testicular macrophages in young and aging mouse

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Ultrastructural study of the testicular macrophages in young and aging mouse

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