Morphological and Histochemical Studies of the Chromatoid Body and Related Elements in the Spermatogenesis of the Rat

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the spermatogenesis of the rat the chromatoid body is present during the growth of the primary and secondary spermatocytes, disappears at telophase of both the meiotic divisions, and is absent during interkinesis. It is reconstructed during the early stages of spermateleosis but after the elongation and condensation of the nucleus it gradually becomes smaller and disappears. Simultaneously, in the caudal region von Ebner ‘s stainable granules appear and gradually fuse together to form a single voluminous body, Regaud ‘s sphère chromatophile, which is discarded with the residual body and is phagocytosed by the Sertoli cell. The histochemical studies reveal that the chromatoid body, von Ebner ‘s stainable granules, and the sphère chromatophile are similar in composition. They consist mainly of RNA and proteins, and this suggests that they may be centres of protein synthesis. The RNA content of von Ebner ‘s stainable granules and the sphère chromatophile appears to be higher than that of the chromatoid body. This probably means that there is a progressive decrease in the protein component of the chromatoid material. Also there is a distinct change in the chemical composition of the protein component of the chromatin during the late stages of spermateleosis. It is tentatively suggested that the function of the chromatoid material may be to provide basic proteins for the final maturation of the chromatin of the late spermatid. It appears that the chromatoid elements originate from the ground cytoplasm and disappear by merging into the latter. An enigmatic granular satellite has been found associated with the chromatoid body. It differs from the latter in its chemical composition.