On the Postnatal Development of the Terminal Segment of the Seminiferous Tubules in Normal and Germ Cell Depleted Rat Testes

The development of the terminal segment of the seminiferous tubules was studied in 5 to 50 days old normal rats. At the age of 5, 10, and 15 days the terminal segment contained fewer gonocytes or spermatogonia than did the corresponding seminiferous tubule. The differentiation of the terminal segment was obvious at 20 days of age due to the high number of germ cells in the seminiferous tubules, where the epithelium became stratified at this stage. The blood-testis barrier in the terminal segment was chiefly established between 15 and 20 days of age as revealed by the lanthanum tracer technique. To study the effect of the germ cells on the differentiation, the germ cell depleted testes of prenatally irradiated rats were also studied. The modified Sertoli cells of the terminal segment were more vacoulated and had fewer lipid droplets and inter-Sertoli cell junctions than did the Sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubules. The ultrastructure of the modified Sertoli cells of the terminal segment was similar in adult normal and adult SCO (Sertoli cell only) rats. The amount of lipid droplets in the Sertoli cells of SCO rats showed considerable variation among different tubular cross-sections within one testis.

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