A quantitative analysis of germ cells and the histone variants in the testes of vitamin A-deficient rats and during subsequent repletion with vitamin A.
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Date
1985-06
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Abstract
A quantitative analysis of the different types of germ cells present in the
seminiferous tubules of vitamin A-deficient-retinoate maintained rats revealed that the
number of pachytene spermatocytes and spermatogonia was greatly reduced in the deficient
rats. Spermatids were virtually absent in the deficient tubules which contained mostly
spermatogonia and preleptotene spermatocytes along with the Sertoli cells. There was no
change in the number of Sertoli cells present in the tubules of deficient rats as compared to that
of normal rats. Following supplementation of retinyl acetate to vitamin A-deficient-retinoate
maintained rats, there was an immediate thinning of the germinal epithelium resulting from
the sloughing off of the damaged spermatocytes which were beyond repair. However, after 12
days of vitamin A supplementation fresh batch of pachytene spermatocytes started appearing
while by day 16 round spermatids could be seen.
Analysis of the acid soluble proteins from nuclei on different types of Polyacrylamide gel
electrophoretic systems has revealed that the levels of the testis specific histone variants Hlt,
TH2A and TH2B, synthesized predominantly in the pachytene spermatocytes were greatly
reduced in the testes of retinoate maintained rats. Following supplementation of retinyl acetate
for either 4 days or 8 days the levels of these histone variants further decreased which
correlated with the decrease in the number of pachytene spermatocytes. However, by day 12 of
supplementation onwards, their levels started increasing and reached near normal levels by day
24 of vitamin A-supplementation.
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Keywords
Spermatogenesis, germ cells, histone variants, vitamin A deficiency and repletion
Citation
Unni Emmanual, Rao M R S. A quantitative analysis of germ cells and the histone variants in the testes of vitamin A-deficient rats and during subsequent repletion with vitamin A. Journal of Biosciences. 1985 Jun; 7(3&4): 345-357.