Repopulation of the seminiferous epithelium of the rhesus monkey after X irradiation
Repopulation of the seminiferous epithelium became evident from Day 75 postirradiation onward after doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 Gy of X rays. Cell counts in cross sections of seminiferous tubules revealed that during this repopulation the numbers of Apale (Ap) spermatogonia, Adark (Ad) spermatogonia, and B spermatogonia increased simultaneously. After 0.5 Gy the number of spermatogonia increased from approximately 10% of the control level at Day 44 to 90% at Day 200. After 1.0 and 2.0 Gy the numbers of spermatogonia increased from less than 5% at Day 44 to 70% at Days 200 and 370. The number of Ad and B spermatogonia, which are considered to be resting and differentiating spermatogonia, respectively, already had increased when the number of proliferating Ap spermatogonia was still very low. This early inactivation and differentiation of a large part of the population of Ap spermatogonia slows down repopulation of the seminiferous epithelium of the primates. By studying repopulating colonies in whole mounts of seminiferous tubules various types of colonies were found. In colonies consisting of only A spermatogonia, 40% of the A spermatogonia were found to be of the Ad type, which indicates that even before the colony had differentiated, 40% of the A spermatogonia were inactivated into Ad. Differentiating colonies were also found in which one or two generations of germ cells were missing. In some of those colonies it was found that the Ap spermatogonia did not form any B spermatogonia during one or two cycles of the seminiferous epithelium, while in other colonies all Ap spermatogonia present had differentiated into B spermatogonia. This indicates that the differentiation of Ap into B spermatogonia is a stochastic process.
- Research Organization:
- State Univ. of Utrecht, Medical School (Netherlands)
- OSTI ID:
- 5232881
- Journal Information:
- Radiat. Res.; (United States), Vol. 113:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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SPERMATOGONIA
CELL DIFFERENTIATION
TESTES
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
COLONY FORMATION
EPITHELIUM
MONKEYS
RADIATION DOSES
X RADIATION
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GAMETES
GERM CELLS
GONADS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MALE GENITALS
MAMMALS
ORGANS
PRIMATES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
TISSUES
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560152* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Animals