title: Stereological analysis of age-related changes of testicular peritubular cells in men.
abstract: This work aimed to analyze quantitative changes of peritubular cells in testes of aged men. Testicular tissues were obtained from 42 aged men with advanced prostate cancer and 16 young men with biopsy, quantitatively investigated with stereological techniques with quadrate mask grid, measured the parameters volume density (V(V)), numerical density on area (N(A)), and numerical density (N(V)) with grid test points. No significant differences were found in cell ratio, peritubular cell number per tubule, diameter of seminiferous tubules between young and old men (p>0.05). Aged men had higher pathologic assignment score than that of young men, which demonstrated more severe pathologic changes (p<0.05). Peritubular cell V(V) and pachytene germ cell V(V) increased significantly in old men compared to young men (p<0.05). Sertoli cell (SC) number per tubule in two-dimensional was significantly less in aged men than that of young men, p<0.01. Peritubular cell N(A), N(V) decreased significantly in aged men compared to young one, p<0.05. It is concluded that the stereological data of peritubular cells from three-dimensional level in testes of aged men suggest a significant decrease when compared with young men, indicating age-related changes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Immunology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, 601# Huang Pu Da Dao Xi, Guangzhou 510632, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Wei-Jie
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Shu-Fang
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Wei-Bo
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D049471:Pachytene Stage; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000473:pathology*; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000473:pathology*