title: Does early cell death cause germ cell loss after intratesticular tissue grafting?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess cell death in intratesticular grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental animal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University.
  
  
  METHODS
  F1-hybrids from SV129 X C57BL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intratesticular tissue transplantation was performed and cell death in the grafts was evaluated at different time points after transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Apoptotic cell death in spermatogonia was evaluated by flow cytometry with the use of the annexin V assay. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate graft development and the global occurrence of cell death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest level of spermatogonia-specific cell death was found on days 4 and 10, although no statistical difference was observed compared with control tissue. Statistically significant reductions in tubule integrity were observed 1 day and 2 months after transplantation. More degenerated tubules were observed in the center of the grafts 1 and 4 days after transplantation, and higher numbers of apoptotic tubules were found 1 day after transplantation. No difference in overall cell death was observed between grafts and controls for any time point except for the frozen grafts 1 day after transplantation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spermatogonia-specific apoptosis does not explain the stem cell loss observed after intratesticular tissue grafting; it probably results from degeneration of tubules in the center of the graft owing to hypoxia during the first days after transplantation.
authors: Biology of the Testis Research Group, Department of Embryology and Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. dorien.van.saen@vub.ac.be
authors: Dorien
authors: D
authors: Van Saen
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Goossens
authors: Joeri L
authors: JL
authors: Aerts
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Haentjens
authors: Herman
authors: H
authors: Tournaye
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D057507:Mice, 129 Strain; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000637:transplantation*
chemical_list: D017304:Annexin A5; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins