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Spermatogenic cell apoptosis induced by mitomycin C in the mouse testis
S Nakagawa1, N Nakamura, M Fujioka
1Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
|January 24, 1998
Summary
Mitomycin C (MC) induces apoptosis in mouse spermatogenic cells in a dose-dependent manner, primarily affecting spermatogonia. This finding suggests MC
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Toxicology
- Cell biology
Background:
- Spermatogenic cell degeneration occurs spontaneously and due to cytotoxic agents.
- Mitomycin C (MC) is an antibiotic known to affect DNA synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the induction of apoptosis in mouse spermatogenic cells by Mitomycin C.
- To characterize the dose-dependency and cell-type specificity of MC-induced apoptosis.
Main Methods:
- TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) for DNA fragmentation.
- Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for chromatin condensation.
- Molecular methods for detecting DNA ladders.
Main Results:
- MC induced apoptotic cell death with DNA fragmentation dose-dependently.
- Apoptosis was most common in spermatogonia, less frequent in spermatocytes.
- MC-induced apoptosis was not specific to any seminiferous tubule stage.
Conclusions:
- MC induces spermatogenic cell apoptosis in mice.
- The observed apoptosis may contribute to the testicular toxicity of MC.