Endocrinological and histological changes induced by continuous low dose gamma-irradiation of the rat testis

Young adult Sprague-Dawley rats were continuously whole-body irradiated with gamma rays at a dose-rate of 7 cGy/day for 92 days. Plasma LH, FSH and testosterone concentrations and testicular histology were quantified at different times during exposure. Irradiation selectively decreased spermatogonial numbers until 17 days of irradiation, following which a maturation depletion was observed. By the end of the exposure all germ cell types were reduced in number to about 10% of the control values. No significant changes were found in testosterone concentration nor in the weights of testosterone dependent accessory sex organs, LH plasma concentration increased slightly but not significantly at the end of irradiation. A significant increase in plasma FSH concentration occurred after the numbers of a spermatogonia and preleptotene spermatocytes had been reduced, when number of stage VII pachytene spermatocytes decreased to 36% of control values, whereas numbers of round spermatids and Sertoli cells were respectively 86% and 100% of the control values. These results suggest a possible role of pachytene spermatocytes in the regulation of inhibin production by the testis.