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1 Department of Experimental
Radiotherapy, The University of Texas
System Cancer Center, M.D. Anderson
Hospital and Tumor Institute,
Houston, Texas
Treatment of mice with high doses of radiation
or certain cytotoxic drugs results in killing of
spermatogonial stem cells, a prolonged period
of reduced sperm production, and infertility. In
this study, quantitative relationships between
these parameters are shown to exist after radiation, Adriamycin® (Adria Laboratories, Wilmington, Delaware) or thiotepa treatment. The
same relationships are valid for the different
cytotoxic agents tested. The survival of spermatogonial stem cells
was assessed by counts of repopulating tubule
cross sections at five or eight weeks after
treatment. Testicular sperm head counts, eight
weeks after treatment, were also used as an
assay of stem cell survival. These two assays
are highly correlated, demonstrating that the
sperm head count at eight weeks is directly related to stem cell survival. Sperm production declines after cytotoxic
treatment and partially recovers to a plateau
level. The level of this recovery is correlated
with stem cell survival. The restoration of fertility is related to the recovery of sperm production. Under the conditions employed, fertility
returns when sperm production by the testis
reaches about 10% of control levels. The duration of the sterile period is also highly correlated with stem cell survival. These results strongly suggest that shortterm assays that measure survival of stem cells
can be used to predict the duration and extent
of sterility, regardless of the cytotoxic agent
used.
Key words: stem cells, sperm production, fertility, radiation, Adriamycin
Submitted on February 20, 1981
Revised on April 14, 1981
Accepted on June 17, 1981
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