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Ultrastructural Changes in Mouse Leydig Cells after Streptozotocin Administration.

1995; Volume: 44; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1538/expanim.44.71

1884-4170

Roberto E. SANGUINETTI, Kenji Ogawa, Masamichi Kurohmaru, Yoshihiro Hayashi,

Diabetes and associated disorders

Male ICR mice were intraperitoneally injected with a single dose (100 mg/kg BW) of streptozotocin (STZ). The pancreas and testis were excised at 1, 2 or 4 weeks after STZ administration and observed by light and electron microscopy. At 2 weeks after injection (p.i.), the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas showed severe atrophy, indicating a diabetic state. In the testis, although no conspicuous morphological changes were detected at 2 weeks p.i., noticeable changes had occurred in the Leydig cells at 4 weeks p.i. In the cells, lipid droplets increased in number, whereas smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER) decreased. Giant whorl-like sER appeared frequently at this time. These findings indicate the declined secretory activity of Leydig cells in STZ diabetic mice.