Journal of Andrology Testis Workshop 2009
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Published-Ahead-of-Print February 5, 2009, 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 , David E. Wildt , and Budhan S. Pukazhenthi

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jewgenow{at}izw-berlin.de.

Teratospermia (>60% morphologically abnormal sperm/ejaculate) is associated with increased sperm output in the domestic cat. The objective of this study was to determine if 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 normo- versus teratospermic cats. Testes (n = 6 males/group) were obtained by bilateral castration and immediately fixed in Bouin's solution. Results revealed that >97% of cells labelled as DNA-fragmented were tubular cells regardless of male type. Fewer (P<0.05) apoptotic spermatogenic cells per tubule (cells/tubule, 0.52 ± 0.11, mean ± SEM) and Sertoli cells (3.79 cells/100 Sertoli cells) were observed in teratospermic compared to normospermic (1.25 ± 0.36; 6.44, respectively) cats. Among the spermatogenic cells, fewer spermatocytes were positively labelled in teratospermic (0.3 ± 0.07/tubule) compared to normospermic (0.83 ± 0.28) 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 in round spermatids at stage V. The ARC was found in primary spermatocytes at each stage of 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: Spermatogenesis • Testis • Apoptosis






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