MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN RAT LEYDIG CELLS REFLECTING THE DECREASED TESTICULAR STEROIDOGENIC CAPACITY DURING AGING

被引：0
作者：
Koeva, Yvetta A. [1 ]
Barbutska, Darina S. [1 ]
Bakalska, Mariana V. [2 ]
Atanassova, Nina N. [2 ]
机构：
[1] Med Univ Plovdiv, Dept Anat Histol & Embryol, Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria
[2] Bulgarian Acad Sci, Inst Expt Morphol & Anthropol Museum, BU-1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
来源：
COMPTES RENDUS DE L ACADEMIE BULGARE DES SCIENCES | 2013年 / 66卷 / 07期
关键词：
rat; Leydig cells; electron microscopy; aging; BROWN-NORWAY RAT; TESTOSTERONE; AGE; TESTIS; COMPONENTS; EXPRESSION;
D O I：
暂无
中图分类号：
O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号：
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要：
The Leydig cells situated in the interstitial compartment of the mammalian testis are responsible for most of the testosterone produced in males. Previous studies in rats have shown that the ability of Leydig cells to produce testosterone significantly declines with age. The present study was focused on the description of some morphological alterations in rat Leydig cells that could be associated with the decreased testicular steroidogenic capacity during aging. Ultrastructural study of aging rat testes revealed the presence of Leydig cells with intact morphology as well as Leydig cells with different degree of degeneration. The decrease of both smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, together with an accumulation of lipid droplets and residual bodies in aging Leydig cells, were observed. Our electron microscopical analysis revealed that the majority of the mitochondria in aged Leydig cells (24-month-old) exhibited significant features of degeneration: increasing in size, swelling, lighten of the matrix, reduction of cristae number, and alterations in the structural integrity of the membranes. During aging progressive increase was established in the number of Leydig cells exhibiting nuclear changes such as chromatin compaction and fragmentation and nuclear shrinkage that could be a sign of elevated apoptotic tendency. The observed morphological alterations in rat Leydig cells reflect the decreased testicular steroidogenic capacity during aging, resulting in decrease of testosterone production.
引用
收藏
页码：1047 / 1050
页数：4
相关论文
共 12 条
[1]   Leydig cells: From stem cells to aging [J].
Chen, Haolin ;
Ge, Ren-Shan ;
Zirkin, Barry R. .
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY, 2009, 306 (1-2) :9-16
[2]   Leydig cell gene expression: effects of age and caloric restriction [J].
Chen, HL ;
Irizarry, RA ;
Luo, LD ;
Zirkin, BR .
EXPERIMENTAL GERONTOLOGY, 2004, 39 (01) :31-43
[3]   Age-related increase in mitochondrial superoxide generation in the testosterone-producing cells of Brown Norway rat testes: relationship to reduced steroidogenic function? [J].
Chen, HL ;
Cangello, D ;
Benson, S ;
Folmer, J ;
Zhu, H ;
Trush, MA ;
Zirkin, BR .
EXPERIMENTAL GERONTOLOGY, 2001, 36 (08) :1361-1373
[4]  
CHEN HL, 1994, J ANDROL, V15, P551
[5]   Antioxidant protective mechanisms against reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by mitochondrial P450 systems in steroidogenic cells [J].
Hanukoglu, I .
DRUG METABOLISM REVIEWS, 2006, 38 (1-2) :171-196
[6]   ULTRASTRUCTURE AND MORPHOMETRY OF TESTICULAR LEYDIG-CELLS AND THE INTERSTITIAL COMPONENTS CORRELATED WITH TESTOSTERONE IN AGING RATS [J].
ICHIHARA, I ;
KAWAMURA, H ;
PELLINIEMI, LJ .
CELL AND TISSUE RESEARCH, 1993, 271 (02) :241-255
[7]  
Koeva Y, 2009, CR ACAD BULG SCI, V62, P1327
[8]   COMPARISON OF COMPONENTS OF THE TESTIS INTERSTITIUM WITH TESTOSTERONE SECRETION IN HAMSTER, RAT, AND GUINEA-PIG TESTES PERFUSED INVITRO [J].
MENDISHANDAGAMA, SMLC ;
ZIRKIN, BR ;
EWING, LL .
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ANATOMY, 1988, 181 (01) :12-22
[9]   Can antioxidant diet supplementation protect against age-related mitochondrial damage? [J].
Miquel, J .
INCREASING HEALTHY LIFE SPAN: CONVENTIONAL MEASURES AND SLOWING THE INNATE AGING PROCESS, 2002, 959 :508-516
[10]   Aging of the human ovary and testis [J].
Perheentupa, Antti ;
Huhtaniemi, Ilpo .
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY, 2009, 299 (01) :2-13
12