Effect of aging on spontaneous and induced mouse testicular germ cell apoptosis

The purpose of this study was to determine whether apoptotic cell death of mouse testicular germ cells varies with increased age, or with exposure to an acute systemic oxidative stress. Results show that the percent of semini ferous tubules with apoptotic cells, and the number of apoptotic cells/tubu le cross section were not significantly altered with age. However, there we re significantly more apoptotic metaphase spermatocytes at tubule stage XIV in 24-month-old mice than in 6-month-old mice. Oxidative stress significan tly increased apoptotic metaphase spermatocytes in young mice, and severely reduced testicular apoptosis in old mice. Our results have potential clini cal relevance to changes with increased age in human sperm aneuploidies. (C ) 1998, Editrice Kurtis.