Spermatogonial apoptosis has three morphologically recognizable phases and shows no circadian rhythm during normal spermatogenesis in the rat.
Cell Prolif
; 25(3): 241-50, 1992 May.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-1596537
ABSTRACT
In this study we examined the possibility that regular or circadian fluctuations occur in the frequency of spontaneous spermatogonial apoptosis. Apoptosis of A2, A3 and A4 type spermatogonia occurring spontaneously in the normal rat testis was studied by light and electron microscopy. Normal and apoptotic A3 spermatogonia were quantified in 36 animals killed at two-hourly intervals over a 24 h period. Three sequential phases of spermatogonial apoptosis were defined and quantified separately (i) an early phase in which cells showed margination of nuclear chromatin, (ii) an intermediate phase in which phagocytosed apoptotic bodies were partly degraded and (iii) a late phase in which only debris of degraded apoptotic bodies was evident. Groups of spermatogonia linked by intercellular bridges underwent apoptosis synchronously. Normal and apoptotic A3 spermatogonia occurred at a mean frequency of 33.4 and 9.6 per 10 seminiferous tubule profiles respectively; there was a large variation in these frequencies between animals, but no peaks or circadian periodicity were detected. Progressive degradation of apoptotic bodies was evident, the average ratios of intermediate and late bodies to early bodies being 1.5 and 3.5, respectively. Absence of a circadian rhythm in these data does not exclude the possibility that initiation of apoptosis in susceptible spermatogonial clones is synchronous, and that affected clones undergo lag periods of differing duration before expressing morphological apoptosis.
Search on Google
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Spermatogenesis
/
Spermatogonia
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Cell Prolif
Year:
1992
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Australia