Microfluorometric assessment of sperm maturation in testicular biopsies from men with histologically normal or reduced spermatogenesis.

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Abstract
Spermatogenesis was studied in testicular biopsies by means of microfluorometric assessment of the DNA-DNP complex using ethidium bromide in 10 men with histologically normal spermatogenesis and in 10 men with histologically reduced spermatogenesis. The expected haploid DNA value was found in the round spermatids, whereas only 70% of the haploid fluorescence value was found in the elongated spermatids and .apprx. 60% in the testicular spermatozoa. No difference was found in the mean fluorescence values between the pathological group and the controls. Structural changes or an increase in basic nuclear proteins may gradually exclude the ethidium bromide from the binding to the DNA molecule and this phenomenon may occur concomitantly with a decrease in double-stranded RNA. The difference in fluorescence intensity before and after RNase treatment was regarded as an approximate estimate of the RNA content. There was a significant decrease of these values during spermatogenesis.