Spermatogenesis advancement in pre-pubertal meagre Argyrosomus regius treated with recombinant gonadotropins

Τhe effects of recombinant meagre follicle stimulating hormone (rFsh) and luteinizing hormone (rLh) were evaluated on testicular maturation in pre-pubertal meagre Argyrosomus regius, an upcoming aquaculture species in the Mediterranean region. Fish (body mass 1092.9 ± 178.8 g) received seven weekly injections of meagre rFsh, together with an rLh injection at week 6. One group was further treated with weekly rFsh or rLh until week 11 and was sacrificed at week 12 (rFsh/rLh group, TREATED 12). The second group received further weekly injections of rFsh until week 12 and was then left untreated until week 21 (single rLh group, TREATED 21). Control fish received injections of saline solution. At week 12, the testes of the rFsh/rLh-treated fish (TREATED 12) showed increased gonadosomatic index and seminiferous tubule diameter, reduction of spermatogonial density, increase of post-meiotic spermatocysts and accumulation of luminal spermatozoa. In the single rLh-treated group (TREATED 21), apoptosis increased towards pre-treatment levels, demonstrating that the withdrawal of the Fsh stimulus ceased the process of spermatogenesis. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of rFsh/rLh treatment in stimulating testicular growth, spermiogenesis and spermiation in pre-pubertal meagre.