Background and Purpose: The sexual activity of male tree shrews is socially
influenced; therefore, the testicular lesions in adult male tree shrews we
re of interest.
Methods: The testes of 229 adult and 9 subadult male tree shrews were obtai
ned during routine necropsy and were subjected to light microscopy, At one
time, 138 animals were experimentally exposed to social conflicts.
Results: Hypospermatogenesis (testicular inactivity) was observed in social
stress-exposed males up to two years of age. Seasonality of hypospermatoge
nesis could not be statistically supported. Testicular atrophy, observed in
21 animals, was neither stress- nor age-related; it developed unilaterally
, with the left testis preferred. Testicular tumors developed in animals ol
der than 2 years, with increasing frequency particularly of Leydig cell tum
ors in animals more than fours year old.
Conclusion: Testicular lesions were more frequently found in male tree shre
ws than they were observed in nonhuman primates kept at the German Primate
Center. Connections to social stress were statistically supported, particul
arly with respect to hypospermatogenesis. Testicular tumors, in contrast, w
ere distinctly age related.