Prince F P
Department of Natural Science, Plymouth State College, New Hampshire 03264.
Anat Rec. 1990 Dec;228(4):405-17. doi: 10.1002/ar.1092280406.
The neonatal period in male development is characterized by an acute rise in serum testosterone, which peaks at 2 to 3 months of age. The purpose of this study is to examine the neonatal human testicular interstitium at 4 months for evidence of Leydig cell maturation, as well as any morphological criteria relating to the fate of Leydig cells during this period, specifically, for signs of cell regression. Leydig cells are described with impressive development of the steroid secreting apparatus, which are consistent with the mature Leydig cells found during early fetal development and in the adult. The outstanding feature of these cells is the "organelle association" of extensive, anastamosing tubules of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER), pleomorphic mitochondria with a component of tubular cristae, and abundant microperoxisomes associated with the SER. Well-developed Golgi elements, regionalized RER, and diverse cell inclusions are also characteristics of these cells. Reinke crystals and paracrystalline inclusions are absent. Gap junctions are common in this system and are notable in the asymmetric nature of the adjacent cytoplasmic components. These findings provide a morphologic correlate to the reported neonatal phase of testosterone production in man. Intermediate forms of Leydig cells are described with "organelle associations" including decreased SER with increased lipid droplets, and decreased SER with prominent cytoplasmic filaments and/or dramatic mitochondrial changes supportive of mitochondrial involution. Cells consistent with immature Leydig cells are also present. The rather impressive diversity in cell morphology present during this time frame of 4 months, slightly past the peak in testosterone production, provides evidence of Leydig cell regression and a continuity of the mature neonatal Leydig cells with the immature Leydig cells of childhood (Prince, 1984). There is also some evidence of cell degeneration. Although the developmental history of Leydig cells has been described for years as biphasic, it is time to view Leydig cell development in man as a triphasic event, fetal, neonatal, and pubertal.
男性发育的新生儿期的特点是血清睾酮急剧上升，在2至3个月大时达到峰值。本研究的目的是检查4个月大的新生儿人类睾丸间质，以寻找Leydig细胞成熟的证据，以及在此期间与Leydig细胞命运相关的任何形态学标准，特别是细胞退化的迹象。Leydig细胞的特征是类固醇分泌装置的显著发育，这与早期胎儿发育和成人期发现的成熟Leydig细胞一致。这些细胞的突出特征是光滑内质网（SER）广泛的、相互吻合的小管的“细胞器关联”，具有管状嵴成分的多形线粒体，以及与SER相关的丰富的微过氧化物酶体。发育良好的高尔基体元件、区域化的粗面内质网（RER）和多样的细胞内含物也是这些细胞的特征。不存在Reinke晶体和副晶体内含物。间隙连接在这个系统中很常见，并且在相邻细胞质成分的不对称性质中很明显。这些发现为报道的人类睾酮产生的新生儿期提供了形态学关联。描述了Leydig细胞的中间形式，其“细胞器关联”包括SER减少伴脂滴增加，以及SER减少伴突出的细胞质细丝和/或支持线粒体退化的显著线粒体变化。也存在与未成熟Leydig细胞一致的细胞。在这个4个月的时间段内，略过睾酮产生的峰值，细胞形态存在相当显著的多样性，这为Leydig细胞退化以及成熟的新生儿Leydig细胞与儿童期未成熟Leydig细胞的连续性提供了证据（Prince，1984）。也有一些细胞退化的证据。尽管多年来Leydig细胞的发育史被描述为双相的，但现在是时候将人类Leydig细胞的发育视为一个三相事件了，即胎儿期、新生儿期和青春期。
