title: Radiation-induced cell death in the mouse testis: relationship to apoptosis.
abstract: The killing of male germ cells by radiation and other toxicants has recently been attributed to apoptosis, but a critical evaluation of the presence of the different features of apoptosis has not been performed. In this study, mouse testes exposed to radiation were examined by light microscopy, electron microscopy and terminal transferase-mediated end labeling (TUNEL) to determine whether the cells were apoptotic according to several criteria. Testes were irradiated with single doses of gamma rays of up to 5 Gy. Although the maximum response was produced by 5 Gy, even 0.5 Gy induced marked changes. The numbers of abnormal spermatogonia reached a peak 12 h after irradiation and then declined, and the total number of spermatogonia began to decline at 12 h. These changes were most prominent among the B spermatogonia and early preleptotene spermatocytes. When examined by both light and electron microscopy, the majority of the abnormal spermatogonia showed condensation of nuclear chromatin and some showed features similar to necrosis, but the typical morphological characteristics of apoptosis, margination of chromatin and nuclear fragmentation, were rare. Many of the abnormal spermatogonia were TUNEL-positive, with the maximum number occurring at 12 h after irradiation. Although the morphological features of radiation-induced spermatogonial degeneration were not typical of apoptosis, the TUNEL staining, the rapid onset of degeneration and the sensitivity to low doses suggest that the mechanism of radiation-induced spermatogonial degeneration is closely related to apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Meistrich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000528:radiation effects; D005720:Gamma Rays; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D004247:DNA