Histochemical observation of the testis of Japanese weasels (Mustela itatsi).

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  • MANABE Noboru
    Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University
  • MIYAMOTO Yohei
    Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University
  • SATO Eimei
    Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University
  • ISHIBASHI Takehiko
    Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University

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Other Title
  • ニホンイタチ精巣の組織化学的観察
  • ニホンイタチ セイソウ ノ ソシキ カガクテキ カンサツ

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Histochemical investigation was carried out on the testis of the adult Japa-nese weasel (Mustela itatsi). The testis weight in the breeding season was larger than in the non-breeding season. The enlargement of the testis was related to the develop-ment of seminiferous tubules and tunica albuginea. The thickness of the tunica albuginea was inversely, and the diameter of the seminiferous tubules was directly related to increasing testicular activity. The disappearence of spermatids and spermatozoa as well as the degenerating primary spermatocytes and the small-sized Leydig cells were observed in the testes obtained in the non-breeding season. The localization and relative activity of dehydrogenases (lactate, glucose-6-phosphate, succinate, malate, iso-citrate, α-glycerophosphate, 3α-hydroxysteroid, steroid 3β-ol, 11β-hydroxysteroid, 17α-hydroxysteroid, 17β-hydroxysteroid, 20α-hydroxysteroid and 20β-hydroxysteroid dehydro-genases) and hydrolases (adenosine triphosphatase, alkaline and acid phosphatases, non-specific esterases) were histochemically evaluated in the non-breeding and breeding seasons. In the testis during breeding season, the interstitium showed very strong enzyme activities, particularly of lactate, glucose-6-phosphate, malate and isocitrate dehydrogenases, adenosine triphosphatase, alkaline and acid phosphatases, and non-specific esterases. The epithelial cells showed very strong activities of malate dehydrogenase, and moderately strong activities of lactate and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases, and adenosine tri-phosphatase. Spermatozoa contained some dehydrogenases such as lactate, glucose-6-phosphate, α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenases. The interstitium showed very strong activities of 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in the non-breeding and breeding seasons, however the activity of steroid 3β-ol dehydrogenase was moderately strong only in the breeding season. 11β-, 17α-, 17β-, 20α-and 20β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities were not observed in the testes.

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