Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
Chin Med J (Engl). 2009 Nov 5;122(21):2643-6.
The morphological measurements of seminiferous tubules are important in the studies of testis tissues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a stereological method to measure the geometric parameters of seminiferous tubule and to optimize the method.
A stereological image processing program was developed with Delphi for the stereological measurement. Fields of view were obtained from 15 healthy Wistar rats' testis tissues (n = 247). The diameter, area and volume of seminiferous tubule were estimated with the image processing program by two individual observers. The area results were compared with those obtained by the standard morphometric method of planimetry.
Diameter measurements showed the diameters of different seminiferous tubules were almost the same and the mean value of about 50 tubules could be a good representation of the whole structure. Area measurements indicated there was no significant difference between stereology and planimetry (P > 0.05). But the stereological method required about 45% less time. Volume measurement showed the inter-observer variability was small (P > 0.05) and the reproducibility of the stereological method was good.
The stereological technique was practical and efficient in the quantitative measurement of the rat's seminiferous tubule.
生精小管的形态测量在睾丸组织研究中很重要。本研究旨在评估使用体视学法测量生精小管几何参数的可行性，并对该方法进行优化。
使用 Delphi 开发了一个体视学图像处理程序进行体视学测量。从 15 只健康 Wistar 大鼠的睾丸组织中获得视野（n = 247）。两位观察者使用图像处理程序估计生精小管的直径、面积和体积。将面积结果与平面测量法获得的标准形态计量学结果进行比较。
直径测量表明，不同生精小管的直径几乎相同，约 50 根小管的平均值可以很好地代表整个结构。面积测量表明体视学法和平面测量法之间没有显著差异（P > 0.05）。但体视学法所需时间约减少 45%。体积测量表明观察者间的变异性较小（P > 0.05），体视学法的重复性良好。
体视学法在大鼠生精小管的定量测量中具有实用性和高效性。
