A dense-cored filamentous body in Leydig cells of the golden hamster.

A unique cytoplasmic structure has been observed in Leydig cells of the golden hamster. It consists of a laminar core made up of electron dense material surrounded by a filamentous matrix of lower density, and is tentatively called a dense-cored filamentous body (DCFB). DCFBs vary in overall size and in configuration of the centrally disposed dense lamina. They are typically located in the vicinity of the centrosome and the Golgi complex. The body has no limiting membrane, and may be in contact with virtually every type of organelle. The DCFB is well developed in active Leydig cells, whereas it is small in the quiescent stage of the secretory cell. It is likely that the DCFB is a constant organelle in the hamster Leydig cell and may be involved in the physiological function of the Leydig cell, which remains to be specified.