Journal of Andrology Testis Workshop 2009
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Published-Ahead-of-Print February 5, 2009, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.108.006726
Journal of Andrology, Vol. 30, No. 4, July/August 2009
Copyright © American Society of Andrology
DOI: 10.2164/jandrol.108.006726

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Reduced Germ Cell Apoptosis During Spermatogenesis in the Teratospermic Domestic Cat

KATARINA JEWGENOW*, KATRIN NEUBAUER*, STEFFEN BLOTTNER*, JENNIFER SCHöN{dagger}, DAVID E. WILDT{ddagger} AND BUDHAN S. PUKAZHENTHI{ddagger}

From the * Department for Reproductive Biology, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany; the {dagger} Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany; and the {ddagger} Center for Species Survival, Department of Reproductive Sciences, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, Conservation & Research Center, Front Royal, Virginia.

Correspondence to: Katarina Jewgenow, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), PF 601103, D-10252 Berlin, Germany (e-mail: Jewgenow{at}izw-berlin.de).



Abstract

Teratospermia (>60% morphologically abnormal sperm/ejaculate) is associated with increased sperm output in the domestic cat. The objective of this study was to determine whether increased sperm production in teratospermic donors was associated with disturbances in germ cell apoptosis, the usual mechanism for sperm cell elimination. Apoptosis was measured by evaluating DNA fragmentation, expression of Caspase-3, and anti-apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain (ARC) in the testes of normospermic compared with teratospermic cats. Testes (n = 6 males/group) were obtained by bilateral castration and immediately fixed in Bouin solution. Results revealed that greater than 97% of cells labeled as DNA fragmented were tubular regardless of male type. Fewer (P < .05) apoptotic spermatogenic cells per tubule (0.52 ± 0.11 cells/tubule, x ± SEM) and per 100 Sertoli cells (3.79 cells/100 Sertoli cells) were observed in teratospermic compared with normospermic (1.25 ± 0.36 cells/tubule and 6.44 cells/100 Sertoli cells) cats. Among the spermatogenic cells, fewer (P < .03) spermatocytes were positively labeled in teratospermic (0.3 ± 0.07/tubule) compared with normospermic (0.83 ± 0.28/tubule) counterparts. Neither donor type differed in Caspase-3 or ARC expression activity. However, each factor was both cell- and stage-specific in expression. Specifically, Caspase-3 was located in Sertoli cells, A-spermatogonia, and round spermatids at stage V. The ARC was found in primary spermatocytes at each stage of the spermatogenic cycle. These results demonstrate that the high incidence of morphologically abnormal sperm in teratospermic male cats is accompanied by a reduced elimination of defective spermatogenic cells via apoptosis.

     Key words: Teratozoospermia, felids, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling, Caspase-3, antiapoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain






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