A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF ISCHAEMIA ON THE GERMINAL EPITHELIUM OF RAT TESTES

Summary. A quantitative analysis of the germinal epithelium cells in rat testes rendered ischaemic for a period of 100 min was performed. This period of ischaemia produces a reversible damage to the process of spermatogenesis. Analysis of the testes at 2-, 7-, 14- and 28-day intervals after ischaemia, revealed damage to type A spermatogonia in stages XII and XIV, intermediate type A spermatogonia, type B spermatogonia and resting primary spermatocytes. The decrease in numbers, or absence of other cell types at the various time intervals after ischaemia was shown to be due to a maturation depletion process. In view of the fact that only cells undergoing mitosis or in the DNA-synthesizing period of meiosis were affected, it is suggested that germinal epithelium cells are most susceptible to ischaemia during this DNA-synthesis period.