APOPTOSIS AS A MECHANISM OF GERM-CELL LOSS IN ELDERLY MEN

In comparison with other mammals, human spermatogenesis is known to be an inefficient process, of which germ cell degeneration is a normal p art. This study was performed to determine the mechanism of cell death in the testes of elderly men. Testes hom 20 patients undergoing orchi dectomy for prostate cancer were fixed, sectioned and processed for th e detection of apoptosis using the in situ end-labelling technique. In addition, the formation of DNA ladders, a hallmark of apoptosis, was also investigated. Occurrence of apoptosis was not confined to a parti cular germ cell population but comprised all types of germ cells. Sert oli cell apoptosis was not encountered. The numbers of degenerating ge rm cells were determined per standard reference area, but no significa nt relationship was found between the mean values and age or testis we ight. Analysis of the median values for germ cell death per reference area suggested that apoptosis occurs in clusters within the testis but is a rare occurrence outside these areas. It is concluded that sponta neous apoptosis can mediate germ cell death in a variety of cell types in the aged human testis.