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Ultrastructural changes in mouse Leydig cells after streptozotocin administration
R E Sanguinetti1, K Ogawa, M Kurohmaru
1Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Experimental Animals
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes in mice. STZ damaged pancreatic islets and altered Leydig cells in testes, reducing their secretory function.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Reproductive Biology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder with potential systemic complications.
- Streptozotocin (STZ) is a commonly used agent to induce experimental diabetes in rodents.
- The impact of STZ-induced diabetes on testicular function, particularly Leydig cells, requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the morphological and functional changes in the pancreas and testis of male ICR mice following STZ administration.
- To assess the effects of STZ-induced diabetes on Leydig cell morphology and secretory activity.
Main Methods:
- Male ICR mice received a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (100 mg/kg BW).
- Pancreas and testis tissues were collected at 1, 2, and 4 weeks post-injection.
- Histological and ultrastructural analyses were performed using light and electron microscopy.
Main Results:
- STZ administration led to severe atrophy of pancreatic islets of Langerhans by 2 weeks, confirming a diabetic state.
- No significant testicular changes were observed at 2 weeks post-injection.
- At 4 weeks post-injection, Leydig cells exhibited increased lipid droplets and decreased smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER).
- Giant whorl-like sER structures were frequently observed in Leydig cells at 4 weeks.
Conclusions:
- STZ-induced diabetes causes significant pancreatic damage.
- Diabetic conditions in mice lead to distinct ultrastructural alterations in testicular Leydig cells.
- These Leydig cell changes suggest a decline in their secretory activity in STZ-diabetic mice.