Combined use of autoradiography and enzyme histochemistry in studies on the mammalian testis

Combined application of the methods of enzyme histochemistry and of autoradiography in one and the same section of tissue provides a method to achieve further informations on the individual cells. Prespermatogenesis and spermatogenesis in rodents with their well defined steps of development and very specific enzymatic patterns of each of the stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium were used as a model to study the double labelling with the aid of the enzyme reaction and labelling with 3-H-thymidine. The techniques applied in this study are described and discussed in detail. Possibilities to elucidate the regeneration mode of the seminiferous epithelium by means of this method are discussed.