ULTRASTRUCTURE AND HISTOPATHOLOGICALCHANGES IN TESTES AND ACCESSORY GLANDS IN CALLOSOBRUCHUS MACULATUS (F) (COLEOPTERA, BRUCHIDAE) TRANSPIRED BY SOLAR RADIATION.

Abstract

The ultrastructure and histopathology in the testes and accessory glands were studied in normal adult males and in those developed from solar energy treated pupae (53 °C for 15 minutes) of Callosobruchus maculatus. The adult male reproductive system consists of two pairs of testes, two vasa deferentia, vesicular seminales, an ejaculatory duct and four pairs of accessory glands. Testes are formed of numerous testicular follicles containing germ cells at different stages of development. The transformation process of spermatid to sperm involves several morphological reorganization of the cells. Cross sections of elongating sperm tail of mature spermatozoa revealed the existence of two equal mitochondria derivatives containing crystalline material and the axial filament comprises 9+9+2 microtubules. C. maculatus has four pairs of accessory glands (one pair of lateral gland, the mesadenia and three pairs of median glands the ectadenia). The accessory glands consist of glandular cells with a well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. Variablemorphological appearance of the accessory glands secretion was present in the gland lumen. The testicular follicles of treated pupae showed structural abnormalities. The cyst cells have a severe vacuolation, degeneration of germ cells, malformation and tearing of sperm bundles. Accessory glands were the most obvious signs of damage. The three different parts of the accessory glands (muscle layer, gland epitheliumand lumen) changed as a result of solar effect. Deterioration of muscular layer, cytoplasmic organelles were very poor and the glandular lumen was filled with vacuoles and malformed granules. The damage was more pronounced in the gonads of (F) progeny of the treated generation