CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Cav-1 positive cells and tubular cycle stages in the adult testes. The caveolins are plasma membrane domains involved in the sequestering of lipids and proteins. The caveolins have a pivotal role in lipid metabolism, growth regulation, signal transduction and apoptosis. Caveolins interact and regulate the heterodimers of protein G. Caveolin 1 and 2 are expressed abundantly in differentiated fibroblasts, smooth and skeletal muscle cells, endotheliocytes and adipocytes. Objective: The aim is to demonstrate the presence of cav-1 in different cell populations of the seminiferous tubules in the testicle, according to the stage of the spermatogenesis cycle (mitosis, meiosis, and spermio-histogenesis) in the adult mouse. Material and methods: Gonads were obtained from adult male mice (2.5 to 3 months). The testes were fixed immediately in buffered formalin (pH 7.2) for 48 hours. Impregnation with paraffin (melting point between 56 ¨¬C to 58 ¨¬C) was then performed using routine histological techniques. Sections of 5 ¥ì m were obtained and mounted on silanized slides for H&E staining and immunohistochemistry was performed with primary antibody against caveolin 1 (cav-1) and revealed with DAB. Results and discussion: The positive immunohistochemical reactions were analysed, and cav-1 positive cells were observed in the different cell populations of spermatogenesis (mitosis, meiosis and histogenesis), whose variations are restricted depending on the stage of the cycle of mouse spermatogenesis. Key words: Spermatogenesis. Cycle. Caveolins. Cav-1. Testes.