Fine structure of boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubules in the scrotal and abdominal testes of naturally unilateral cryptorchid West African dwarf goats

The boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubules in the scrotal and abdominal testes of naturally unilateral cryptorchid West African dwarf goats comprised an inner non-cellular, a middle cellular and peripheral cellular lamellae. In the scrotal testes, these components were compact and their arrangement conformed to that described for other domestic ruminants except that here, the basal lamina associated with the seminiferous epithelium was homogeneous and in tact. Alterations due to cryptorchidism as observed in the contralateral abdominal testes include general loss of compactness due to depletion and disorganization of structural extracellular materials like basal lamina coat of myoid cells and collagen fibrils, the splitting of the basal lamina of the seminiferous epithelium into 8-12 thin layers, poor differentiation of the myoid cells and the accumulation of lipid droplets within their cytoplasm. It is concluded that the normal caprine boundary tissue conforms entirely to the characteristics of 'Type C' category in the existing classification. The ultrastructural alterations due to abdominal retention of the testis resemble the testicular changes ascribed to the disturbance of pituitary-testicular hormonal axis.