目的 探讨雌、雄中华鳖肾组织的微细结构特征及意义。方法 利用甲苯胺蓝半薄切片和透射电镜超薄切片技术，研究20只雌、雄中华鳖肾脏组织结构。结果 雌、雄中华鳖肾脏肾小管的近端小管和中间段上皮细胞结构存在一定差异，表现在雄性的近端小管立方上皮细胞之间含有侧细胞间隙，基底膜与基膜之间存在基底细胞间隙。侧细胞间隙内分布有由质膜形成的指状突起，细胞基底间隙中分布由基底膜形成的基底迷路。雌性近端小管立方上皮细胞间无侧细胞间隙和基底间隙。雌、雄鳖的中间段上皮细胞也表现出与近端小管立方上皮细胞相似的形态差异，即雄性肾小管的中间段立方上皮细胞间存在侧细胞间隙和基底间隙，间隙内分布有细长的指状突起，而在雌性肾小管的中间段上皮中无侧细胞间隙和基底间隙。雄性中华鳖近端小管上皮细胞有3种：主细胞、秃头细胞和基底细胞；与雄性不同，雌性的近端小管上皮仅有亮、暗两种上皮细胞。结论 雌、雄中华鳖肾脏近端小管和中间段的上皮组织结构存在性别差异。侧细胞间隙和基底间隙仅存在于雄性近端小管和中间段上皮细胞之间，上皮组织细胞之间的侧面间隙与细胞基底间隙应与物质运输有关，提示雄性近端小管的尿液重吸收能力和中间段上皮的尿液浓缩能力可能较雌性的强。

Objective To investigate structural characteristics and functional significance of the renal tissue in the female and male soft-shelled turtles.Methods A total of 20 soft-shelled turtles were used in this study. Toluidine blue staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe structural differences of renal tissue between the female and male soft-shelled turtles. Results There were some differences in epithelial cell structure in the proximal tubules and intermediate segments between male and female turtles. The lateral intercellular spaces and basal intercellular spaces occurred in epithelial cells of turtle proximal tubule and intermediate segments in the male soft-shelled turtles, and some slender finger-like projections were distributed in lateral intercellular space. Basal labyrinthes were found in basal intercellular spaces. However there was no space among epithelial cells of proximal tubule and intermediate segments in the female turtles. In addition, male proximal tubule epithelial cells composed with primary cells, bald cells and basal cells, while female proximal tubule epithelial cells composed with only two kinds of epithelial cells, the bright cells and dark cells.Conclusion The structural differences of epithelian tissues of renal proximal tubule and the intermediate segments exist between female and male soft-shelled turtles. The lateral intercellular spaces and basal intercellular spaces appeare in male turtles, but not in female turtles. Since the lateral intercellular spaces and basal intercellular spaces involve in material transport, the results suggest that the urine reabsorption capacity in proximal tubule and the urine concentrating ability in intermediate segment may be stronger in male soft-shelled turtles than that in female turtles.