Comparative Study of Lipids in Vertebrate Testes.

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Abstract
Comparative histochemical study of testes was made on sexually mature bulls, rams, boars, rats, guinea pigs, roosters, horned lizards, Phrynosoma cornutum (Harlan), frogs, Rana pipiens, and bluegill fish, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque. Lipids were observed in the interstitial cell cytoplasm, the basement membrane, and the cytoplasm of the Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids of all spp. except the bluegill fish. In the last, lipids were visible in the germ cells and in the interlobular connective tissue sheath. A reaction for carbonyl groups, suggesting the presence of ketosteroid material, was found in the Leydig cells of all spp. except the boar, rooster, and fish. Using Baker''s acid hematin test, phospholipid was found in the testicular cell types of the spp., but the test was not applied to the bluegill. Schulta-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. Similarity in patterns of lipid distribution in testes of closely related vertebrate spp., and those spp. more distant in taxonomic relationship, suggests the structural and metabolic importance of lipids in spermatogenesis as well as in function of Sertoli and interstitial cells.