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Figure 1 | Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology

Figure 1

From: Morphological evidences indicate that the interference of cimetidine on the peritubular components is responsible for detachment and apoptosis of Sertoli cells

Figure 1

Photomicrographs of seminiferous tubules of rats from CG (A and B) and CmG (C-L) stained by H&E (A-H), PAS (I) and submitted to TUNEL method (J-L). In A, the tubule shows organized histoarchitecture and absence of germ cells detached in the tubular lumen (asterisk). ×400. In B, Sertoli cell nuclei with evident nucleolus (arrows) are juxtaposed to the peritubular tissue exhibiting myoid cell with normal aspect (m). ×1,500. In C, the damaged tubules show intraepithelial spaces and germ cells filling the tubular lumen (asterisks). ×170. In D and E, the peritubular tissue is irregularly outlined (arrows) and the SC nuclei (S) are dislocated from the basal portion (Fig. D) or positioned in the adluminal compartment (Fig. E). In D, spaces between round spermatids and Sertoli cells (asterisks) are observed. Fig. D: ×800; Fig. E: ×600. In F, the peritubular tissue is not evident (arrowheads) and a myoid cell nucleus shows abnormal aspect (m). The adjacent SC nucleus exhibits intense basophilic staining (arrow). In G, two SC nuclei with peripheral chromatin strongly stained by hematoxylin (arrows). In H, a portion of the peritubular tissue is not evident (arrows); the SC nucleus dislocated from the peritubular tissue shows a central clear halo (arrowhead). In I, an abnormal myoid cell nucleus (m) and a SC nucleus with irregular shape (arrow) is located in the adluminal compartment. Next to the SC nucleus, basophilic structures (probably nuclear fragments) are observed (arrowheads). Figs. F-I: ×1,500. In J, K and L, the SC nuclei are positive to the TUNEL method (arrows) and some of them (K and L) are dislocated from the peritubular tissue. Figs. J-L: ×1,400.

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