Aktas Cevat, Kanter Mehmet
Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, 22030 Edirne, Turkey.
J Mol Histol. 2009 Feb;40(1):31-9. doi: 10.1007/s10735-009-9210-9. Epub 2009 Jan 30.
Testicular function is highly dependent on temperature control. The aim of this study was designed to investigate the morphological changes and regulation of steroidogenesis by light and electron microscopic level in Leydig cells (LC) after scrotal hyperthermia in rats. The rats were randomly allotted into one of four experimental groups: A (Control), B (1 day after scrotal hyperthermia), C (14 days after scrotal hyperthermia), D (35 days after scrotal hyperthermia); each group contain seven animals. Scrotal hyperthermia was carried out in a thermostatically controlled water bath at 43 degrees C for 30 min once daily for 6 consecutive days. Control rats were treated in the same way, except the testes were immersed in a water bath maintained at 22 degrees C. Hyperthermia applied rats were sacrificed under 50 mg/kg ketamine anaesthesia after 1, 14 and 35 days, and biopsy materials of testis were obtained for light and electron microscopic examinations. To date, no histopathological changes of LC injury after scrotal hyperthermia in rats have been reported. Light microscopic examinations indicated increase degenerative LC, decrease in number of testosterone positive LC in interstitial area after scrotal hyperthermia in short-term. In scrotal hyperthermia, a dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum, swollen mitochondria, and vanished mitochondrial cristae were observed. The nuclei of some LC displayed deep invaginations and irregular outlines. The number of lipid droplets was very considerably increased in most LC when compared to control group. As a conclusion, we claim that temperatures higher than the body temperature may cause infertility by damaging LC.
睾丸功能高度依赖于温度调控。本研究旨在通过光镜和电镜水平，研究大鼠阴囊高温后睾丸间质细胞（LC）的形态变化及类固醇生成的调控。将大鼠随机分为四个实验组之一：A组（对照组）、B组（阴囊高温后1天）、C组（阴囊高温后14天）、D组（阴囊高温后35天）；每组包含7只动物。在恒温43℃的水浴中进行阴囊高温处理，每天一次，每次30分钟，连续6天。对照组大鼠除睾丸浸入22℃的水浴中外，处理方式相同。在1天、14天和35天后，对接受高温处理的大鼠在50mg/kg氯胺酮麻醉下进行处死，并获取睾丸活检材料进行光镜和电镜检查。迄今为止，尚未有大鼠阴囊高温后LC损伤的组织病理学变化的报道。光镜检查表明，短期阴囊高温后，间质区变性的LC增加，睾酮阳性LC数量减少。在阴囊高温时，观察到滑面内质网扩张、线粒体肿胀和线粒体嵴消失。一些LC的细胞核呈现出深陷和不规则轮廓。与对照组相比，大多数LC中的脂滴数量显著增加。总之，我们认为高于体温的温度可能通过损伤LC导致不育。
