414 



PHYSIOLOGY OF GONADS 





Fig. 6.38. Mouse seininul \esick\ norniMl male. Pliotomicrograpli 

 preparation. (From E. Howard, Am. J. Anat., 65, 105-149, 1939.) 



50. Houm-liematoxvlin 



accunuilation remains in the apical region. 

 The sulfhydryl reaction is partially lost luit 

 the cells retain apical reactivity. 



Testosterone propionate implanted sub- 

 cutaneously 13 to 32 days after testis re- 

 moval (Brandes and Bourne, 1954) rapidly 

 restored the Golgi apparatus and enzyme 

 activity to normal, and the PAS reaction 

 returned gradually. Allen (1958) showed 

 that the epithelium of 30-day castrates re- 

 sponds to a single injection of 16 fig. of 

 testosterone propionate by an increase in 

 mitotic activity within 30 to 36 hours. 



Se7ninal vesicles. The epithelial cells in 

 adult glands are colunniai- with basal nuclei 

 and secretory granules surrounded by halos 

 in the supranuclear cytoplasm (Fig. 6.35) ; 

 the epithelium rests on a layer of smooth 

 muscle and connective tissue stroma (How- 

 ard, 1939). 



In electron micrographs (Deane and 

 Porter, 1959), it can be seen that the sur- 

 face membranes of secretory cells Ivdvv 

 microvilli which extend into the lumen. The 

 supranuclear region contains secretory 

 granules enclosed in vesicles or cisternae, 

 smaller membrane-bound vesicles, and par- 

 allel arrays of smooth Golgi membranes. 

 Moderately distended ergastoplasmic clian- 

 nels with membranes studded with pi'c- 

 sumed libonucleoprotein ])articles lorm 

 comi)lex convolutions along the latci'al luai'- 

 gins and at the base of cells. The nucleus 

 possesses clumped chromatin along the 

 meml)rane (Figs. 6.39, 6.42, and 6.43). Fu- 



jita (1959) described essentially the same 

 type of endoplasmic reticulum and the 

 presence of microvilli and secretion gran- 

 ules. In addition, small granules in the 

 Golgi region were interpreted as precursors 

 of secretory granules. 



Histochemical preparations (Table 6.7) 

 show strong alkaline phosphatase activity 

 in stromal elements (Atkinson, 1948; Bern. 

 1951 ) ; acid phosphatase activity is present 

 in the apical or Golgi region of the epithe- 

 lial cells (Deane and Dempsey, 1945). Se- 

 cretory material and secretory granules in 

 the lumen and cytoplasm are acidophilic 

 and weakly PAS-positive, whereas the re- 

 ticulum in the lamina propria is intensely 

 PAS reactive (Fig. 6.44). Lateral margins 

 and basal regions of the cells (Fig. 6.45) 

 are moderately basophilic (Deane and Por- 

 ter, 1959). 



Following castration of adult mice, the 

 secretory epithelium retrogresses with loss 

 of secretion granules and reduction in cell 

 heiglit and nuclear size. Effects of gonadec- 

 tomy may be retarded and not uniform in 

 all cells (Howard, 1939), but changes 

 within 5 days have been rei:)orted for cell 

 and nucleai- size (Martins and Rocha, 

 1 929 ) . 



{electron mici'osco])ic and histochemical 

 studies (Table ().7l reveal marked changes 

 within a week aftei' gonad removal (Deane 

 and Porter, 1959). Cell size is reduced, 

 there are fewer secretory granules, ergas- 

 toplasmic channels are less distended and 



