Cisplatin-induced germ cell apoptosis in mouse testes

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether exposure of male mice to cisplatin induces apoptosis in male germ cells and the possible role of apoptosis in cisplatin-induced testicular damage. Forty-eight male BALB/c m ice were divided into cisplatin and control groups. The mice from the cispl atin group received a single intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin of eith er 1, 5, or 10 mg/kg. The control group received a single intraperitoneal i njection of saline alone. The testes were removed on days 1, 3, and 7 after cisplatin administration, respectively Following histological examination, apoptotic indices (AIs) were measured within seminiferous tubules of the m ouse testes by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin n ick end labeling assay. A low incidence of spontaneous apoptosis was observ ed in controls, particularly in spermatogonia and spermatocytes of the mous e testes. After cisplatin administration, both increased AIs and decreased spermatozoa and spermatids were found in the seminiferous tubules of the mo use testes. Cisplatin-induced apoptosis was found in spermatogonia, spermat ocytes, and spermatids of the mouse testes. In comparison to the control va lues, AIs increased 2.6- to 6.8-fold in cisplatin-treated mouse testes. AIs reached the highest level on day 1 following 1 mg/kg, on day 3 following 5 mg/kg, and on day 7 following treatment of 10 mg/kg cisplatin. The study s howed that cisplatin-induced germ cell apoptosis in the mouse testes was re lated to both the dose response and the time course of response. It is sugg ested that cisplatin-induced germ cell apoptosis may result in decreased sp ermatogenesis, and the higher dose of cisplatin may delay the occurrence of apoptosis in the mouse testes.