FIG. 8.

MEHP-induced germ cell detachment is independent of germ cell apoptosis. A) Twenty-eight-day-old C5L/6J male mice are treated with 1g/kg MEHP, and germ cell apoptosis rate is determined by TUNEL assay. Control (a); MEHP 12 h (b). Testicular cross sections show TUNEL-positive germ cells as brown spots (arrow heads). B) Primary rat Sertoli cell-germ cell cocultures are pretreated with caspase inhibitor z-VAD-FMK (20 μM) for 2 h and then exposed to 200 μM MEHP for 0, 3, and 6 h in the presence or absence of additional z-VAD-FMK administration, as described in upper part of the figure. Detached germ cells are counted. Values represent the mean ± SEM. Asterisks denote significant differences between the treatments and the control (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, Student t-test).