正常および腫瘍睾丸の電子顕微鏡的観察

Abstract

1. Normal testes of the adult rat and man were ele c tron microscopically observed. Seminoma, teratoma, and embryonal carcinoma were also studied with electron micrographs. 2. As to spermatogenesis, formation of the acrosome in the rat spermatid was demonstrated as well as the structure of the axial fiber bundle which was seen composed of the tubular arrangement of nine axial filaments enveloped with the mitochondrial helix. The mitochondria of the helix were of tubular appearance, being devoid of the mitochondrial cristae but having thick limiting membrane (Fig. 1-4). 3. In general, germ cells were abundant in t he mitochondria and rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, but no lipid droplet was found in the cytoplasm. The nuclei were finely granular and of high electron density (Fig. 1, 2, 7, 9, 10). 4. Both Sertoli and Leydig cells were rich in lipid d roplets which are known to be related with steroid production. Lipid droplets in Leydig cell showed two different forms, one was globular and another course granular (Fig. 12). 5. Sertoli cells were small and polygonal in shape, the cytoplasm of which was less dense comparing with germ cells. Cytoplasmic organellae were rather scant. They made network or syncitium with indistinct cytoplasmic border. Leydig cell had vesicular cytoplasm due to vacuoles, some of which contained finely granular substance (Fig. 5, 6, 8, 10). 6. Testicular tumor cells had large nuclei with hypertrophied nucleoli, the nu c leolonema of which were quite prominent. The nucleus of seminoma cell was electron dense with fine granules, whereas that of teratoma was less dense. In embryonal carcinoma the nucleus showed aggregation of course granules arranged in reticular fashion. There were a few interesting findings as to nuclei of the testicular tumor cells. In seminoma, the outer layer of the nuclear membrane was partly detached and protruded into the cytoplasm. In teratoma, "nuclear extrusion" was observed . This phenomenon is, probably, a result of activ e movement of nuclear substance to the cytoplasm. In embryonal carcinoma, osmiophilic substance, RNA from Pars amorpha of the nucleolus, was present close to the nuclear membrane. In cytoplasm of those tumor cells, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum were not abundant (Fig. 13-18).