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Case Report of Rat True Hermaphroditism: Colocalization of Oocytes and Granulosa and Sertoli Cells in the Germinal Cord

Laboratory for Safety Assessment and ADME, Institute for Life Science Research, Asahi Kasei Corporation, Mifuku, Ohito-cho, Tagata-gun, Shizuoka 410-2321, Japan, kaikitrx{at}daiichipharm.co.jp

Norihiro Satoh

Laboratory for Safety Assessment and ADME, Institute for Life Science Research, Asahi Kasei Corporation, Mifuku, Ohito-cho, Tagata-gun, Shizuoka 410-2321, Japan

Astushi Watanabe

Laboratory for Safety Assessment and ADME, Institute for Life Science Research, Asahi Kasei Corporation, Mifuku, Ohito-cho, Tagata-gun, Shizuoka 410-2321, Japan

Kazumi Shiraiwa

Laboratory for Safety Assessment and ADME, Institute for Life Science Research, Asahi Kasei Corporation, Mifuku, Ohito-cho, Tagata-gun, Shizuoka 410-2321, Japan

Hironobu Sasano

Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai city, Miyagi 980-0875, Japan

Kazuhisa Furuhama

Drug Safety Research Laboratory, Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo 134-8630, Japan

We describe a case of rat hermaphroditism with bilateral ovotestes. In a 7-week-old apparently male Sprague—Dawley rat, both testes were relatively small, and the right testis with a faint protrusion was somewhat round and small as compared with the left testis. Microscopically, the testes contained ovarian tissues within their tunica albugineas in conjunction with spermatogenesis in the seminiferous tubules. As bilateral changes, oocytes surrounded by granulosa-like cells were present in the seminiferous tubule-like germinal cord. Granulosa-like and Sertoli-like cells were layered together on the basal lamina, and theca interna-like cells were occasionally observed around the basal lamina. As unilateral changes, cystic dilatation of the germinal cords with eosinophilic fluid was seen in the lumen, and the theca interna-like cells appeared to be vacuolated. Immunohistochemically, the granulosa-like and Sertoli-like cells showed positive reactions for 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and vimentin, respectively. Theca interna-like cells reacted positively to both 3β-HSD and cytochrome P-450 17 -hydroxylase. Ultrastructurally, the granulosa, Sertoli, and theca interna cells were also identified in the ovarian tissue. From these morphological characteristics, the male rat with bilateral ovotestes was diagnosed as true hermaphroditism.

Key Words: Hermaphroditism • rat • ovotestis • immunohistochemistry • 3β-HSD • vimentin • P450c17 • electron microscopy.

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Toxicologic Pathology, Vol. 31, No. 3, 290-294 (2003)
DOI: 10.1080/01926230390204324


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Kai, K. Articles by Furuhama, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kai, K. Articles by Furuhama, K. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?