Figure 4: Effect of treatment with estradiol on Sertoli cell and Leydig cell morphology and glycoprotein expression.
From: Effects of Elevated β-Estradiol Levels on the Functional Morphology of the Testis - New Insights
(A) Sertoli cell vacuolation was evident in all patients treated with estradiol (circle, H&E). (B) Following estradiol treatment, the majority of the Leydig cells appeared irregular in form and size and revealed signs of degeneration of the nucleus and cytoplasm (circle, H&E). Very few Leydig cells were only slightly altered (rectangle). (C) Glycoprotein synthesis was seen in the estradiol treated patients in both the cytoplasm of the Leydig cells (➤, PAS) and in the cytoplasm of some scattered Sertoli cells within the tubules (circle, PAS). (D) PAS staining with amylase confirmed that glycoproteins were synthesized in the estradiol treated patients.
