Protective effect of hypoxia in the ram testis during single and split-dose X-irradiation

Spermatogonial stem-cell survival in the ram was studied after single (6 Gy) and split-dose (2 x 3 Gy, interval 21-24 h) X-irradiation both under normal and hypoxic conditions. Hypoxia was induced by inflation of an occluder implanted around the testicular artery. The occluders were inflated about 10 min before irradiation and deflated immediately after. Stem-cell survival was measured at 5 or 7 weeks after irradiation by determination of the Repopulation Index (RI) in histological testis sections. The RI-values after fractionated irradiation were only half those after single dose irradiation. Hypoxia had a protective effect on the stem-cell survival. After split-dose irradiation under hypoxic conditions two times more stem cells survived than under normal oxic conditions; the RI-values increased from 34% (oxic) to 68% (hypoxic). This effect of hypoxia was also found after single dose irradiation where the RI-values increased from 68% (oxic) to 84% (hypoxic). The development of the epithelium in repopulated tubules was also studied. Under hypoxia, a significantly higher fraction of tubules with complete epithelium was found after single (38 vs. 4%) as well as after split-dose irradiation (12 vs. 0%).