单环刺螠精巢年周期发育及精子发生

采用组织学方法观察了单环刺螠(Urechis unicinctus)精巢的形态结构及其年周期发育,并利用超微技术观察了精子的发生过程。结果表明,单环刺螠的精巢呈条带状,位于虫体尾部,两端通过肌束分别与呼吸肠管壁外侧和体壁内侧相连。精巢由生精细胞团与结缔组织组成,结缔组织位于精巢中央,精原细胞团分布于结缔组织外周,精母细胞团散布于结缔组织内,各级精母细胞脱离精巢落入体腔液中,历经精母细胞、精细胞,最后形成精子脱离细胞团进入肾管。根据精巢的组织学特征,将单环刺螠的精巢年周期发育划分为增殖期、生长期、成熟期、排放期和休止期5个时期。光镜和电镜下观察了精巢和体腔液中精子发生各时期的结构变化,包括细胞核形态的变化、顶体发生以及尾部的形成。本研究揭示了单环刺螠的精巢发育特点、精子发生历经的场所和分化特征。     

miRNA在哺乳动物配子发生中的作用研究进展

哺乳动物配子发生的基因表达调控包括编码基因的阶段特异性表达调控及非编码基因的转录和转录后水平调控。微小RNA(microRNA, miRNA)作为一类小的非编码RNA, 通过识别靶基因非翻译区的结合位点, 导致mRNA降解或者蛋白质翻译抑制, 从而在转录后水平发挥调控作用。近年来, miRNA在哺乳动物生殖活动中的作用逐渐被揭示, 越来越多的研究表明, miRNA在哺乳动物精子发生、精子成熟、卵母细胞成熟、卵泡发育及早期胚胎发育等过程中都发挥着重要的调节作用, 其可通过调节支持细胞的增殖和凋亡或精原细胞、精母细胞及精细胞的细胞周期进程, 在精子发生的不同阶段发挥间接或直接调控作用, 也可通过调节卵母细胞、卵丘细胞以及颗粒细胞的增殖、凋亡、激素合成和细胞间作用, 对卵母细胞的发育和成熟过程进行调控。作者主要介绍了在哺乳动物配子发生过程中, miRNA的细胞和阶段特异性表达及其对靶基因的调节作用, 以期为深入研究哺乳动物配子发生的调控机制提供参考。     

成年大鼠睾丸去精索上神经对睾丸功能及肾上腺素能受体表达的影响

试验旨在研究精索上神经（superior spermatic nerve,SSN）对睾丸功能的影响,25只成年Wistar大鼠随机分为2组,试验组左右睾丸切除精索上神经,手术30 d后两组大鼠同时处死取样分析。结果显示,睾丸去精索上神经不影响睾丸指数的大小但使附睾尾精子数极显著降低（P＜0.01）,平均日增重显著增加（P＜0.05）。增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）免疫组织化学染色结果显示,睾丸去精索上神经不影响曲细精管精原细胞和初级精母细胞的增殖,但影响曲细精管的形态和生殖细胞的规则排列。RT-PCR结果显示,睾丸去精索上神经明显上调β1AR mRNA的表达,下调β2AR mRNA的表达;另外切除精索上神经不影响睾丸3β-羟胆固醇脱氢酶（3β-HSD）mRNA表达,但显著抑制类固醇快速调节蛋白（StAR）、胆固醇侧链裂解酶（P450scc）mRNA表达（P＜0.05）。结果表明,支配睾丸的精索上神经通过调节肾上腺素能受体β1AR和β2AR的表达及StAR和P450scc影响睾丸睾酮的合成和精子的发生。     

西施舌精子发生过程的超微绘结构观察

利用透射电镜研究西施舌精子的发生和结构，揭示了从精原细胞逐渐发育为精子过程中细胞形态结构的变化和细胞器的演变规律。精细胞的分化分为6期，主要包括：核形态由扁圆到圆再到椭圆形；核染色质以颗粒状形式凝集；高尔基体分泌的前顶体颗粒聚合发育为前顶体囊，参与顶体的形成；线粒体逐渐融合与发达；中心体的移动及鞭毛的形成，胞质的逐步减小，成熟精子为原生型，由头部、中段和尾部组成。顶体圆锥状，高密度的顶体物质集中分布于基部四周，呈灯罩状；亚顶体腔呈尖锥状，内含密度较低的均匀物。细胞核近椭圆形。中段由4个椭圆形的线粒体和2个相互垂直的中心粒组成，尾部鞭毛为典型的“9 2”型结构。     

Pubertal development of male African catfish,Clarias gariepinus. In vitro steroidogenesis by testis and interrenal tissue and plasma levels of sexual steroids

In fish, sex steroids initiate and/or accelerate the maturation of the brain-pituitary-gonad axis. In order to obtain information on the steroid milieu during the pubertal development of male African catfish, we have monitored the conversion of [³H]-pregnenolone and [³H]-androstenedione by testis and [³H]-pregnenolone by interrenal tissue fragmentsin vitro. Pubertal development occurs between two and six months of age. Testicular development proceeds through four main stages that are characterised histologically by the presence of spermatogonia (stage I), spermatogonia and spermatocytes (stage II), spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids (stage III), and all germ cells including spermatozoa (stage IV). 11β-Hydroxyandrostenedione and cortisol were the main products of testes and interrenal tissue, respectively, in all stages of the pubertal development; a change in the steroidogenic pattern was not observed during this period. The interrenal tissue displayed no significant conversion of [³H]-pregnenolone to 11-oxygenated androgens. Blood plasma was analyzed for the presence of five androgens; testosterone, 11β-hydroxytestosterone, 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione, androstenetrione, and 11-ketotestosterone. 11-Ketotestosterone was the quantitatively dominating androgen in the circulation at all stages of development, which was more pronounced in stages III and IV. The obvious differences between thein vitro andin vivo results, namely 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione being the main testicular productvs. 11-ketotestosterone dominating in the blood, may indicate that 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione is converted to 11-ketotestosterone at extratesticular sites.     

Differentiation and development of Leydig cell, and induction of spermatogenesis during testicular differentiation in the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica

The initial appearance and the development of Leydig cells (LCs), the sites of steroid hormone production in the testis, were investigated ultrastructurally during testicular differentiation in the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. In addition, the effects of a single injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG; 5 IU g body weight^-1) on histological changes of the testes and serum 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) were examined at various stages (15–18, 20–23, 26–29, 32–35, 38–41 and 46–50 cm body length (BL)) of testicular differentiation. Testicular differentiation was morphologically characterized by the development of loose connective tissue on the medial side in animals 18–29 cm in BL. Ultrastructurally, LCs were first identified in the loose connective tissue of the testis of the 23 cm fish. In the testes of fish over 32 cm, clusters of LCs were distributed throughout the interstitial region accompanying the increase in number of spermatogonia. In fish larger than 32 cm, spermatogenesis was induced by administration of HCG; serum 11-KT levels were also raised. On the other hand, there was no effect on spermatogenesis or serum 11-KT levels in fish less than 29 cm, or in the controls. These result suggests that morphological differentiation of LCs occurs in testis of the 23 cm eel, and subsequently, the testes of eels of BL more than 32 cm acquire the capability to produce steroid hormones.     

Serum steroid concentrations and development of reproductive organs during puberty in male bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo

Puberty is a critical, hormone-mediated event during which an animal acquires the ability to breed and propagate. Despite the importance of this stage in animal reproduction, little is known regarding the physiological factors that regulate and/or accompany puberty in several vertebrate groups including elasmobranchs. To address the need for such information, the present study investigated morphological and hormonal changes that occur during puberty in male bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo). Serial changes in development of claspers, paired copulatory organs in male elasmobranchs, and serum steroid concentrations during puberty were evaluated in captive-held male S. tiburo. Captive-animal studies were supplemented by observations on gonadal development, gonaduct morphology, and serum steroid concentrations in feral, peripubertal male S. tiburo. Changes in size and histological architecture of testes and gonaducts of peripubertal sharks mirrored the seasonal progression of events that occur in these structures in mature males. Claspers grew in length continuously during puberty, but sharks did not reach functional maturity until a short period before mating activity commences in the mature population. Clasper growth appeared to be strictly regulated in S. tiburo, perhaps to ensure growth of these organs to sizes deemed critical for reproductive success. Serum concentrations of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, progesterone, and 17β-estradiol increased in both captive and feral sharks during pubertal development, and may be associated with development of the gonads and gonaducts. Differences in hormone profiles of captive and feral sharks were observed at certain periods during puberty, but their origin remains unclear. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Evaluation of reproductive parameters in male Neotropical bats during dry and rainy months in a specific area of the Cerrado biome

The aim of this study was to analyse the reproductive aspects of male bats of three common species of the Phyllostomidae family: Artibeus lituratus, Platyrrhinus lineatus and Sturnira lilium, during dry and rainy months in a specific area of the Cerrado biome. Body weight was significantly higher during the dry months for S. lilium. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) and testicular weight were not significantly different between dry and rainy periods. The tubular parameters were significantly bigger in A. lituratus than in the other two species during both periods. No difference in the tubular/interstitial ratio was observed in any of the species during both periods. In both periods, all sperm cells and germ cell developmental stages were visible on seminiferous tubules whereas sperm cells were observed in epididymides of all sampled animals. The percentage of morphologically normal sperm was low (35%–60%), with no difference between periods. Spermatozoa from A. lituratus presented a leaf-shaped head, while the head was round-shaped in the other two species. In conclusion, our data suggest that males from the three studied species did not present reproductive latency during the most critical weather periods (dry and rainy months) in the metropolitan region of Brasilia, Brazil.     

东方次睾吸虫电镜研究 Ⅲ、精子和精子发生

本文应用透射电镜研究了东方次睾吸虫精子的超微结构及其发生过程。东方次睾吸虫的精子划分为3段:第1段主要包括核和一根鞭毛轴丝;第2段包括较细的核和两根鞭毛轴丝;第3段则由两根鞭毛轴丝组成。第1、2段合称为精子的头部,第3段称精子的尾部。鞭毛为9+“1”的形式,中心有螺旋形的结构。精子发生过程与其他吸虫基本相同。精母细胞和精子细胞都呈玫瑰花状排列。精子细胞成熟过程中出现特殊的分化区域,许多微管排列在膜的内侧,核向分化区域旋转、移动和浓缩;附近出现两对带有小根的中心粒,两根鞭毛由此突出。