Schleiermacher E
Hum Genet. 1980;54(3):391-404. doi: 10.1007/BF00291587.
In seven hypo- or aspermic patients, electron microscopic investigations of the intercellular connections of the seminiferous tubule were performed. The analysis of cell junctions of Sertoli cells and germ cells revealed irregularities of the Sertoli-cell junctions, hypoplasias of occluding junctions, hypo- and hyperplasias of the Sertoli-spermatid cell junctions and abnormal formation of Sertoli cell junctions with early spermatids, spermatocytes, and spermatogonia. Gap junction-like cell membrane specializations were very rare. Intercellular cytoplasmic bridges of germ cells were always present together with these cells. One hypoplastic bridge connecting two spermatogonia was found. The results allow a preliminary classification of impaired spermtogenesia. The changes of intercellular connections might disturb the blood-testis barrier as well as the intercellular communication in the seminiferous tubule. Evidence is available to support the suggestion that genetic causes play a considerable role in the etiology of the germ cell aplasia and the spermatogenic maturation arrest.
对7例少精或无精患者的生精小管细胞间连接进行了电子显微镜检查。对支持细胞与生殖细胞间连接的分析显示，支持细胞连接存在异常，闭锁连接发育不全，支持细胞-精子细胞连接存在增生和发育不全，且支持细胞与早期精子细胞、精母细胞及精原细胞间连接形成异常。类间隙连接的细胞膜特化结构非常罕见。生殖细胞间的胞质桥总是与这些细胞同时存在。发现一条连接两个精原细胞的发育不全的桥。这些结果有助于对精子发生受损进行初步分类。细胞间连接的改变可能会扰乱血睾屏障以及生精小管中的细胞间通讯。有证据支持遗传因素在生殖细胞发育不全和生精成熟停滞的病因中起重要作用这一观点。
