Duration of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium, estimated by the 5-bromodeoxyuridine technique, in laboratory and feral rats
The stability of the duration of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium was determined by investigating incorporation of 5-bromodeoxyuridine into S-phase germ cells of normal and hemicastrated standard laboratory rats (Sprague–Dawley) and feral Brown/Norway rats ( Rattus norvegicus ). Feral rats w...
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Published in | Journal of reproduction & fertility Vol. 100; no. 1; pp. 299 - 306 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
England
Society for Reproduction and Fertility
01.01.1994
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The stability of the duration of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium was determined by investigating incorporation of
5-bromodeoxyuridine into S-phase germ cells of normal and hemicastrated standard laboratory rats (Sprague–Dawley) and feral
Brown/Norway rats ( Rattus norvegicus ). Feral rats were trapped on farms in the surroundings of Münster. The duration of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium,
determined at intervals of 12 days (3 h versus 12 days 3 h after 5-bromodeoxyuridine injection), was remarkably constant and
similar in intact laboratory rats (12.49 ± 0.05 days, n = 13, mean ± sem ) and feral rats (12.44 ± 0.06 days, n = 8). In hemicastrated laboratory and feral rats the duration of the cycle was similar to that in intact animals, indicating
that hemicastration did not influence the kinetics of the seminiferous epithelium cycle. However, the coefficients of variation
of the estimated duration of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium were at least three times lower in hemicastrated rats
(one testis from the same animal serving as reference point) compared with that of intact rats (the reference point based
on the average staining frequency at 3 h). Overall, no significant differences between laboratory and feral rats could be
observed with regard to testis weight and serum concentrations of FSH and testosterone. The number of cells per testis, determined
by flow cytometry, was similar in laboratory and feral rats, except for a slight but significant difference in the haploid:tetraploid
cell ratio (6.3 ± 0.2 versus 7.5 ± 0.3, P < 0.05). It is concluded that the duration of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium is identical in feral Brown/Norway
rats and their descendent laboratory rat strain, Sprague–Dawley rats. Hemicastration (each animal being its own reference
point) profoundly increased the precision of the determination of duration of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium, at
least for the duration of one cycle. |
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ISSN: | 1470-1626 0022-4251 1741-7899 |
DOI: | 10.1530/jrf.0.1000299 |