title: Effects of selenium deficiency on sperm morphology and spermatocyte chromosomes in mice.
abstract: Sperm morphology and spermatocyte chromosomes were examined in mice maintained on a Torula yeast diet for 5 weeks. In the selenium-deficient group, the proportion of abnormal sperm was high, ranging from 6.8% to 49.6%, while in the control group it ranged from only 4.0% to 15.0%. The most frequently occurring abnormalities in sperm shape were in the sperm head. There was also a tendency for abnormalities in other regions (neck, midpiece and tail) to be increased. However, in metaphase-I spermatocytes, the frequencies of various types of abnormal chromosomes (univalent chromosomes, translocations and structural anomalies) did not differ between the selenium-deficient and control groups. These findings indicate that selenium day be an essential constituent for spermatogenesis in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Endo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008677:Metaphase / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012643:Selenium / Q000172:deficiency*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D012643:Selenium