Fine structure and cytochemistry of testicular cells in men treated with testosterone propionate.

Abstract

The ultrastructural features of human testicular cells were examined in normal and testosterone propionate-treated human testes. In addition, the enzymes adenosine triphosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and acid phosphatase were localized by electron microscopic cytochemistry in control and in testosterone propionate-influenced testes. The morphological effects of injected testosterone were most pronounced in the spermatids. Spermatogonia, spermatocytes, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells displayed progressively fewer morphological defects in response to testosterone propionate. Adenosine triphosphatase was observed to be localized within the plasma membranes of Sertoli, Leydig, and spermatogenic cells. Administered testosterone did not appear to affect adenosine triphosphatase activity. Glucose-6-phosphatase was localized within the rough endoplasmic reticulum of Sertoli, Leydig, and primitive spermatogonial cells as well as the nuclear envelopes of Sertoli and Leydig cells in control tissues. Testosterone did not alter glucose-6-phosphatase localization within the seminiferous tubules, but localization was substantially reduced or absent in the interstitial cells of Leydig. Acid phosphatase was localized within lysosomes of spermatogenic, Sertoli, and Leydig cells and within lipofuscin and Golgi bodies of Sertoli cells. Acid phosphatase localization increased only within Sertoli cells upon treatment with testosterone propionate.