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Three-dimensional morphological analysis of spermatogenesis in aged mouse testes

Authors :
Kazuyoshi Shigehara
Hiroaki Iwamoto
Shohei Kawaguchi
Takahiro Nohara
Yoshifumi Kadono
Suguru Kadomoto
Hiroshi Yaegashi
Kouji Izumi
Masashi Iijima
Atsushi Mizokami
Taito Nakano
Hiroki Nakata
Source :
Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2021), Scientific Reports
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Nature Portfolio, 2021.

Abstract

Spermatogenesis, which is a continuous process from undifferentiated spermatogonia to spermatozoa in the seminiferous tubules, declines with age. To investigate changes in spermatogenesis with aging, we reconstructed the seminiferous tubules of 12 mice aged 12 to 30 months from serial sections and examined age-related and region-specific alterations in the seminiferous epithelium and spermatogenic waves in three dimensions. The basic structure of the seminiferous tubules, including the numbers of tubules, terminating points, branching points, and total tubule length, did not change with age. Age-related alterations in spermatogenesis, primarily assessed by the formation of vacuoles in Sertoli cells, were detected in the seminiferous tubules at 12 months. The proportion of altered tubule segments with impaired spermatogenesis further increased by 24 months, but remained unchanged thereafter. Altered tubule segments were preferentially distributed in tubule areas close to the rete testis and those in the center of the testis. Spermatogenic waves became shorter in length with age. These results provide a basis for examining the decline of spermatogenesis not only with aging, but also in male infertility.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20452322
Volume :
11
Issue :
1
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Scientific Reports
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....085c6a6e075b23ec3c86daa1704dc3b7