Biomed. Papers 148(2), 213-215 (2004) | DOI: 10.5507/bp.2004.042

ALTERED SPERMATOGENESIS IN THE HYPODACTYLOUS RATS

Zuzana Jirsová^a, Tomáš Kučera^a, Jindřich Martínek^a, František Liška^b, Drahomíra Křenová^b, Vladimír Křen^b

^a Institute of Histology and Embryology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Czech Republic

^b Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Czech Republic

Germinal epithelium of seminiferous tubules in adult, infertile hypodactylous males displays significant reduction in the number of germ-line cells. Detection of apoptosis in the germ-line cells during postnatal differentiation was performed to elucidate the mechanism of the decreased number of germ cells in the testes of adult rats. Evaluation of DNA fragmentation and expression of activated caspase-3 in germ cells did not confirm marked germ cell death during the onset of spermatogenesis as a main cause of significant reduction of germ cells in Hd/Hd testes of adult males. The primary cause of spermatogenesis deffect seems to be rather associated with a disorder in the cell cycle regulation and interrelation of germ-line cells with Sertoli cells.

Keywords: Rat hypodactyly, Altered spermatogenesis, Apoptosis

Received: September 20, 2004; Published: December 1, 2004  Show citation