Damage and Recovery of Mouse Testis after 1000 r Acute Localized X-Irradiation, with Reference to Restitution Cells, Sertoli Cell Increase, and Type A Spermatogonial Recovery

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
After 1000 r of acute localized irradiation many spermatocytes are blocked in 1st metaphase. Restitution nuclei, similar to those seen after colchicine treatment, form between the 1st and the 10th day after irradiation, with a maximum at 6 days. These restituted cells often drift toward the basement membrane. There is an excess number of Sertoli cells in heavily damaged tubules which is not due to cell division as shown by autoradiography, or by shrinkage of tubules, since the number is abnormally high even after shrinkage correction. The excess apparently corresponds to the number of restitution cells formed from the blocked first metaphases. The ultimate fate of these indifferent "Sertoli"-like cells is unknown. They do not seem to enter a new spermatogenic cycle. Type A spermatogonia were observed between 8 and 10 days after 1000 r with a frequency of 0.007 per tubule. After division, the resulting daughter cells distribute themselves along the basement membrane, forming a complete ring of dividing spermatogenic cells at 20 days in recovering tubules. Stage "XII" occurred at 5 weeks showing development only through 1st metaphase spermatocytes. The present findings appear to explain the discrepancies introduced by workers in the 1920''s and not resolved since.