USE OF ELECTRON MICROSCOPY IN STUDY OF STEROIDOGENIC CELLS OF NORMAL, REGRESSING AND PREGNANT CAPRINE CORPORA LUTEA

Electron microscopic studies revealed variations in different cell organelles in steroidogenic cells of normal, regressing and pregnant caprine corpora lutea. Corpus luteum was comprised of two types of steroidogenic cells viz. small theca luteal cells and large granulosa luteal cells. In granulosa luteal cells, rough endoplasmic reticulum was most abundant in corpus luteum of pregnancy. The number of mitochondria, Golgi complex and secretory granules increased from normal to pregnancy category and decreased in regressing category. In theca luteal cells, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, number of mitochondria and Golgi complex were more in pregnancy. During regression, degenerating luteal cells with shrunken cytoplasm, dispersed nuclear membrane, apoptotic granules, increased number of lipid droplets, lysosomes, swollen mitochondria, irregular plasma membrane, disintegrating and vacuolated rough endoplasmic reticulum were observed. The degenerating luteal cells of regressing corpus luteum revealed the patches of chromatin material along the periphery of the uneven nuclear membrane and also within the nucleoplasm. These variations shall be discussed in relation to their physiological obligations.