大鼠睾丸间质细胞的自体吞噬活动

本文结合超微结构和细胞化学观察,研究大鼠睾丸间质细胞(Leydig细胞)中溶酶体的结??构与功能。观察结果表明,大鼠睾丸间质细胞中高尔基体非常发达,在高尔基体的成熟面存在着CMP酶阳性反应的GERL系统,说明这种细胞有不断产生溶酶体的能力。细胞化学结果也证实在睾丸间质细胞有较多的初级和次级溶酶体。睾丸间质细胞不仅有较多的溶酶体,而且还有相当数量的自噬小体,存在着活跃的自体吞噬活动。自噬小体的界膜来源于特化的光面内质网或高尔基体膜囊,包围的内容物主要是光面内质网和少量线粒体。当自噬小体与溶酶体融合后即成为自体吞噬泡,由于酶的消化作用,自体吞噬泡内的细胞器有一系列形态变化。根据CMP酶细胞化学反应,可以区分自噬小体和自体吞噬泡,后者是一种次级溶酶体,呈CMP酶阳性反应。睾丸间质细胞是分泌雄性激素的内分泌细胞,其光面内质网和线粒体在类固醇激素分泌中起重要作用,自体吞噬活动的结果是去除部分内质网和线粒体,可能在细胞水平上起着对雄性激素分泌的调节作用。

THE AUTOPHAGIC ACTIVITY OF LEYDIG CELLS IN THE NORMAL RAT TESTES

The present work presents observations on the lysosomes of Leydig cells in the normal rats.These data revealed that Leydig cells have a well-developed Golgi apparatus and GERL system,which produce a considerable amounts of lysosomes.These lysosomes are involved in the autophagic activity in the Leydig cells. The autophagosomes and autophagic va-cuoles are prominent in many Leydig cells.The autophagosomes are CMPase negative,whereas the autophagic vacuoles show positive reaction for CMPase.They appear as membrane bor-dered vacuoles containing smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and/or mitochondria.The membranes surrounding forming autophagoso- mes are probably derived from SER and Golgi saccules.A series of structural changes of en-closed elements can be seen in different auto-phagic vacuoles.The CMPase activity in these vacuoles indicated that the lysosomes are in-volved in this process.These organelles enclosed in autophagic vacuoles are digested by lysosomal enzymes and in this way transform into resi-dual bodies. Considering the fact that most of the organelles enclosed in the autophagic vacuoles are SER and mitochondria which play an important role in the production of androgens,it appears that the autophagic activity might relate to the regulation of hormone-secreting in Leydig cells.