Testicular abnormalities in mice with Y chromosome deficiencies.
We recently investigated mice with Y chromosome gene contribution limited to two, one, or no Y chromosome genes in respect to their ability to produce haploid round spermatids and live offspring following round spermatid injection. Here we explored the normalcy of germ cells and Sertoli cells within seminiferous tubules, and the interstitial tissue of the testis in these mice. We performed quantitative analysis of spermatogenesis and interstitial tissue on Periodic acid-Schiff and hematoxylin-stained mouse testis sections. The seminiferous epithelium of mice with limited Y gene contribution contained various cellular abnormalities, the total number of which was higher than in the males with an intact Y chromosome. The distribution of specific abnormality types varied among tested genotypes. The males with limited Y genes also had an increased population of testicular macrophages and internal vasculature structures. The data indicate that Y chromosome gene deficiencies in mice are associated with cellular abnormalities of the seminiferous epithelium and some changes within the testicular interstitium.
Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Victor A
VA
Ruthig
Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montréal, Que., Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Que., Canada H3T 1J4.
Torbjoern
T
Nielsen
Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Jonathan M
JM
Riel
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Fukuoka University Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yasuhiro
Y
Yamauchi
Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Egle A
EA
Ortega
Quinci
Q
Salvador
Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Monika A
MA
Ward
D000818:Animals; D050173:Genes, Y-Linked; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012670:Seminiferous Epithelium / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013091:Spermatogenesis
Y chromosome; male infertility; spermatogenesis; testis