Abstract
Summary
1. Comparative histochemical study of vertebrate testes was carried out on sexually mature males representing the classes Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia, Amphibia, and Pisces. Lipids were examined as to their morphological localization in the bull, ram, boar, rat, guinea pig, rooster, the horned lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum (Harlan), the frog, Rana pipiens, and the bluegill fish, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque. 2. Following the use of Sudan dyes, lipids were observed in the interstitial cell cytoplasm, the basement membrane, and the cytoplasm of the Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids of all species studied with the exception of the bluegill fish. In the bluegill, lipids were visible in the germ cells and in the interlobular connective tissue sheath. A reaction for carbonyl groups was obtained suggesting the presence of ketosteroid material in the Leydig cells of all species examined, except in the case of the boar, rooster, and fish. With the aid of Baker's acid hematin test, phospholipid was found in the testicular cell types of the species studied. This method was not applied to the bluegill fish testis. Schultz-positive material was noted in the Leydig cells of the bull, ram, boar, rat, guinea pig, horned lizard, and frog. Birefringent digitonides were present in the Leydig cells and seminiferous tubules of the frog. 3. The similarity in the patterns of lipid distribution in the testis of closely related vertebrate species, and those species which are more distant in taxonomic relationship, suggests the structural and metabolic importance of lipids in spermatogenesis as well as in the function of Sertoli and interstitial cells.
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