Effects of sex hormones on the development of giant lysosomes in the proximal tubules of DBA/2Cr mouse kidney.

The DBA/2Cr mouse strain is characterized by giant lysosomes that are located in the proximal convoluted tubules of males and in the proximal straight tubules of females. In the present study, we used light microscopy and electron microscopy to investigate the effects of sex hormones on the development of these giant lysosomes. In the proximal convoluted tubules of males, giant lysosomes (large vacuolar structures observed under light microscopy) disappeared after orchiectomy but reappeared after testosterone treatment. No changes were observed after ovariectomy or estradiol treatment. In the proximal straight tubules of females, giant lysosomes (periodic acid Schiff-positive giant granules observed under light microscopy) disappeared after ovariectomy but reappeared after estradiol treatment. After orchiectomy and testosterone treatment, the giant lysosomes did not appear. However, a number of small lysosomes (smaller than a nucleus), which were periodic acid Schiff-positive, increased after orchiectomy and decreased after testosterone treatment. These findings suggest that lysosomes in DBA/2Cr mice are regulated by testosterone or estradiol as follows: (1) in the proximal convoluted tubules, the development of lysosomes is stimulated by testosterone but not by estradiol; (2) in the proximal straight tubules, development of lysosomes is stimulated by estradiol and inhibited by testosterone.