Ultrastructure of adrenal reticularis and Sertoli cells in sterile male mice

Abstract

Heterozygous translocations have been established as a cause of male infertility in mice. Previous studies did not establish a relationship between translocations and hormonal control of fertility in males. We examined the adrenal-zona-reticularis-cell/Sertoli cell hormonal axis in sterile male mice that had chromosomal translocations induced by triethylenemel amine (TEM). Out of 397 male offspring of TEM treated CD1 males and F1 (C57BL/6J x BALB/c) females 26 were found to be infertile and confirmed as translocation carriers by cytogenetic analysis of testicular tissue acquired by unilateral orchiectomy at 11 - 13 months of age. Radioimmunoassay of blood serum testosterone collected between 14 and 18 months of age showed the sterile males to vary from 0.96 ± 0.41 to 10.55 ± 1.65 ng/ml compared to 3.17 ± 0.55 ng/ml in fertile controls.Adrenal and testicular tissues were collected from ether-anesthetized animals at 18 months of age. Two or three animals were selected to represent each group: non-translocation controls, and translocation groups with high serum testosterone (HT), medial serum testosterone (MT) and low serum testosterone (LT).