RADIOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ZINC ASPARTATE ON MOUSE SPERMATOGENESIS - AFLOW CYTOMETRIC EVALUATION

The radioprotective effect of zinc aspartate on spermatogonial cells o f whole-body irradiated mice was studied using flow cytometry. Adult m ale Swiss albino mice were treated with 30 mg/kg body weight of zinc a spartate 30 min before exposure to 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 Gy of gamma-radi ation. The animals were killed 7 to 70 days postirradiation and the re lative percentages of different germ cells were analyzed by flow cytom etry. A significant increase (p < 0.002, 0.0001, 0.005 and 0.008 for 0 .5, 1, 2 and 3 Gy, respectively) in the relative percentage of spermat ogonial (2C) population was observed in mice treated with zinc asparta te before exposure to different doses of gamma-radiation, compared to the irradiated controls on day 35 posttreatment. Also mean of each rad iation dose of all the intervals studied showed a significant (p < 0.0 3) increase in the relative percentage of spermatogonia. Despite the i ncrease in the relative percentage of spermatogonia, the relative perc entage of tetraploid cells (4C) remained higher in the zinc aspartate treated mice, compared to the irradiated controls. However, there was no change in the haploid populations viz. round (1C) and elongated (HC ) spermatids of the zinc aspartate pretreated animals compared to irra diated controls. These data suggests that zinc aspartate pretreatment protects spermatogonia and tetraploid cells from radiation-induced cel l killing. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.