Summary
Staining of testicular and epididymal tissues after intravenous, intraperitoneal or subcutaneous administration of a number of dyes was investigated in rats at different stages of postnatal development. After light green injections heavy staining of both testis and epididymis was visible to the naked eye in neonatal animals up to the age of 10 days, while in rats over 15 days old no appreciable staining of the testis could be seen, although the caput epididymis was strongly coloured. From 3–8 hours after subcutaneous acriflavine administration, the nuclei in the blood vessel walls of the testis, as well as the nuclei in the rete testis, tubuli efferentes and caput epididymis, fluoresced in all age groups. The nuclei of the interstitial and tubular cells were stained intensely until the age of 5 days. Thereafter the intensity gradually diminished until the age of 20 days, when no nuclear fluorescence was visible in the seminiferous tubules and even the interstitial nuclei fluoresced weakly or not at all.
The histochemical alkaline phosphatase activity of the testicular capillaries was studied by Gomori's method, using fresh and postfixed cryostat sections from postnatal rat testes. The testicular capillaries exhibited appreciable activity at the age of 10 days.
On the basis of the present and previous observations on the permeability of the testicular capillaries, the existence of a blood-testis barrier in the puberal and adult rat testis is suggested.
Development of the blood-testis barrier and the alkaline phosphatase activity of the testicular capillaries are suggested to reflect general vascular maturation at the beginning of puberty in the rat.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Baillie, A. A.: Observations on the growth and histochemistry of the Leydig tissue in the postnatal prepuberal mouse testis. J. Anat. (Lond.) 95, 357–370 (1961).
Bennett, S. H., J. H. Luft, and J. C. Hampton: Morphological classification of vertebrate blood capillaries. Amer. J. Physiol. 196, 381–390 (1959).
Bitensky, L., and S. Cohen: The histochemical demonstration of alkaline phosphatase in unfixed frozen sections. Quart. J. micr. Sci. 106, 193–196 (1965).
Bourne, G. H.: Histochemical demonstration of phosphatases in the central nervous system of the rat. Exp. Cell Res., Suppl. 5, 101–117 (1958).
Broman, T.: On basic aspects of the blood-brain barrier. Acta psychiat. scand. 30, 115–124 (1955).
Bruyn, P. P. H. De, R. C. Robertson, and R. S. Farr: In vivo affinity of diaminoacridines for nuclei. Anat. Rec. 108, 279–307 (1950).
Burgos, M. H.: Uptake of colloidal particles by cells of the caput epididymis. Anat. Rec. 148, 517–525 (1964).
Cowie, A. T., A. K. Lascelles, and J. C. Wallace: Flow and protein content of testicular lymph in conscious rams. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 171, 176–187 (1964).
Crabo, B.: Fine structure of the interstitial cells of the rabbit testes. Z. Zellforsch. 61, 587–604 (1963).
Davson, H.: Physiology of the ocular and cerebrospinal fluids. London: Churchill 1956.
Dempsey, E. W., R. O. Greep, and H. W. Deane: Changes in the distribution and concentration of alkaline phosphatases in tissues of the rat after hypophysectomy or gonadectomy, and after replacement therapy. Endocrinology 44, 88–103 (1949).
Dobbing, J.: The blood-brain barrier. Physiol. Rev. 41, 130–188 (1961).
Elkeles, A.: Experiments on the existence of a blood/adrenal-cortex barrier. Lancet 1954I, 1153–1154.
Flodmark, S.: Blood-brain barrier alteration after experimental cold injury of the rabbit brain, indicated by penicillin G in EEG and by dye tests. Acta physiol. scand. 63, 225–235 (1965).
Goldacre, R. J., and B. Sylvén: A rapid method for studying tumour blood supply using systemic dyes. Nature (Lond.) 184, 63–64 (1959).
—: On the access of blood-borne dyes to various tumour regions. Brit. J. Cancer 16, 306–322 (1962).
Goldman, H.: Endocrine gland blood flow in the unanesthetized, unrestrained rat. J. appl. Physiol. 16, 762–764 (1961).
Gomori, G.: Microscopic histochemistry. Principles and practice. Chicago: Chicago Univ. Press 1952.
Holmberg, B.: On the permeability to lissamine green and other dyes in the course of cell injury and cell death. Exp. Cell Res. 22, 406–414 (1961).
Ikonen, M.: On the structure and function of the interstitial cells in the human foetal testis [Finnish]. Diss. Helsinki, Painovalmiste, 1965, 81 pp.
Klatzo, I., J. Miquel, and R. Otenasek: The application of fluorescein labeled serum proteins (FLSP) to the study of vascular permeability in the brain. Acta neuropath. (Berl.) 2, 144–160 (1962).
Ladman, A. J., and W. C. Young: An electron microscopic study of the ductuli efferentes and rete testis of the guinea pig. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 4, 219–226 (1958).
Landow, H., E. A. Kabat, and W. Newman: Distribution of alkaline phosphatase innormal and neoplastic tissues of the nervous system. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chic.) 48, 518–530 (1942).
Leduc, E. H., and G. Wislocki: The histochemical localization of acid and alkaline phosphatases, non-specific esterase and succinic dehydrogenase in the structures comprising the hematoencephalic barrier of the rat. J. comp. Neurol. 97, 241–279 (1952).
Leeson, C. R., and T. S. Leeson: The postnatal development and differentation of the boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubule of the rat. Anat. Rec. 147, 243–260 (1963).
Leeson, T. S.: Electron microscopy of the rete testis of the rat. Anat. Rec. 144, 57–67 (1962).
Lindner, H. R.: Partition of androgen between the lymph and venous blood of the testis in the ram. J. Endocr. 25, 483–494 (1963).
Maekawa, K., Y. Tsunenari, K. Nokubi, and M. Waki: The earliest effect of cadmium on the testis; an increase of alkaline phosphatase activity in the capillary wall of the testicular interstitium. Acta anat. Nippon. 40, 200–208 (1965).
Mancini, R. E., O. Vilar, B. Alvarez, and A. C. Seiguer: Extravascular and intratubular diffusion of labeled serum proteins in the rat testis. J. Histochem. Cytoehem. 13, 376–385 (1965).
Marshall, A. H. E., and R. G. White: The immunological reactivity of the thymus. Brit. J. exp. Path. 42, 379–385 (1961a).
- - Experimental thymic lesions resembling those of Myasthenia gravis. Lancet 1961I, 1030–1031 (b).
Menzies, D. W.: Is there a cortex-medullary cord barrier in lymph nodes? Nature (Lond.) 209, 91–92 (1966).
Morita, I.: Some observations on the fine structure of the human duotuli efferentes. Arch. histol. jap. 26, 341–365 (1966).
Murakami, M.: Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen am interstitiellen Gewebe des Rattenhodens, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Leydigschen Zwischenzellen. Z. Zellforsch. 72, 139–156 (1966).
Nandy, K., and G. H. Bourne: Alkaline phosphatases in brain and spinal cord. Nature (Lond.) 200, 1216–1217 (1963).
Nicander, L.: Studies on the regional histology and cytochemistry of the ductus epididymidis in stallions, rams and bulls. Acta morph. neerl.-scand. 1, 337–362 (1958).
Niemi, M., and M. Ikonen: Histochemistry of the Leydig cells in the postnatal prepubertal testis of the rat. Endocrinology 72, 442–448 (1963).
—: Primordial germ cells in foetal and postnatal human testis. Ann. Med. exp. Fenn. 43, 23–28 (1965).
—, and M. Kormano: Cyclical changes in and significance of lipids and acid phosphatase activity in the seminiferous tubules of the rat testis. Anat. Rec. 151, 159–170 (1965a).
—: Contractility of the seminiferous tubule of the postnatal rat testis and its response to oxytocin. Ann. Med. exp. Fenn. 43, 40–42 (1965b).
Pearse, A. G. E.: Extensions of the limits of cellular pathology: The role of enzyme histochemistry. J. clin. Path. 11, 520–534 (1958).
Ro, T. S., and H. Busch: Concentration of 14C actinomycin D in various tissues following intravenous injection. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 108, 317–318 (1965).
Rodriguez-Peralta, L. A.: Experiments on the histologic locus of the hemato-encephalic barrier. J. comp. Neurol. 102, 27–46 (1955).
—: The role of the meningeal tissues in the hemato-encephalic barrier. J. comp. Neurol. 107, 455–474 (1957).
—: Hematic and fluid barriers in the optic nerve. J. comp. Neurol. 126, 109–122 (1966).
Ross, M. H.: The fine structure of testicular interstitial cells in the rat. Anat. Rec. 145, 277–278 (1963).
Samorajski, T., and J. McCloud: Alkaline phosphomonoesterase and blood brain permeability. Lab. Invest. 10, 492–501 (1961).
Setchell, B. P., and G. M. H. Waites: Blood flow and the uptake of glucose and oxygen in the testis and epididymis of the ram. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 171, 411–425 (1964).
—, and A. R. Till: Variations in flow of blood within the epididymis and testis of the sheep and rat. Nature (Lond.) 203, 317–318 (1964).
Steinwall, O.: Transport mechanisms in certain blood-brain barrier phenomena — a hypothesis. Acta psychiat. scand. 36, Suppl. 150, 314–318 (1961).
—: Blood-brain barrier dysfunction: some theoretical aspects. Acta psychiat. scand. 40, Suppl. 10, 25–29 (1964).
Stern, L., and R. Peyeot: Le fonctionnement de la barrière hèmatoencéphalique aux divers stades de développement chez divers espès animales. C.R. Soc. Biol. (Paris) 96, 1124–1126 (1927).
Tewari, H. B., and G. H. Bourne: Histochemical studies on the distribution of alkaline and acid phosphatases and 5-nucleotidase in the cerebellum of the rat. J. Anat. (Lond.) 97, 65–72 (1963).
Tschirgi, R. D.: Protein complexes and the impermeability of the blood-brain barrier to dyes. Amer. J. Physiol. 163, 756 (1950).
—: The blood-brain barrier. In: Biology of neuroglia (ed. W. F. Windle), p. 130–138. Springfield (Ill.) Ch. C. Thomas 1958.
Wachstein, M., and E. Meisel: The histochemical distribution of 5-nucleotidase and unspecific alkaline phosphatase in the testicle of various species and in two human seminomas. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 2, 137–148 (1954).
Waites, G. M. H., and G. R. Moule: Blood pressure in the internal spermatic artery of the ram. J. Reprod. Fertil. 1, 223–229 (1960).
—, and B. P. Setchell: Changes in blood flow and vascular permeability in the testis, epididymis and accessory glands after the administration of cadmium chloride. J. Endocr. 34, 329–342 (1966).
Williams, R. G.: Some responses of living blood vessels and connective tissue to testicular grafts in rabbits. Anat. Rec. 104, 147–161 (1949).
Wislocki, G. B., and E. W. Dempsey: The chemical cytology of the choroid plexuses and blood brain barrier of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). J. comp. Neurol. 88, 319–345 (1948).
Young, W. C.: Die Resorption in der Ductuli efferentes der Maus und ihre Bedeutung für das Problem der Unterbindung im Hoden-Nebenhodensystem. Z. Zellforsch. 17, 729–759 (1933).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by grants from Yrjö Jahnsson's Foundation and P. O. Klingendahl Foundation.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kormano, M. Dye permeability and alkaline phosphatase activity of testicular capillaries in the postnatal rat. Histochemie 9, 327–338 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305816
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305816