Figure 3.

(A) Apoptotic Index [% of cross sections of seminiferous tubules (ST) containing TUNEL positive germ cells/total cross sections of seminiferous tubules] at early (I–VI) and late (IX–XIV) stages of seminiferous epithelium cycle. In the groups of rats with the presence of Leydig cells (light bars), CP increased apoptosis compared with vehicle (p = 0.0019, dashed bracket) control, and HN reduced the CP-induced apoptosis (p = 0.021). Ethane dimethanesulfonate (EDS) pre-treatment (dark bars) had a minimal effect on apoptosis of germ cells (p = 0.169), and HN had no significant effect on apoptosis in the EDS (p = 0.251) (Fig. 3A, dark bars) at early and late stages. B) Apoptotic Index at middle (VII–VIII) stages of seminiferous epithelium cycle. CP did not increase apoptosis in the middle stages in animals not pre-treated with EDS (Fig. 3B. light bars). In the EDS pre-treated rats (dark bars), EDS increased apoptosis of germ cells compared with control (p = 0.0014, dashed bracket) and HN decreased apoptosis levels in EDS-treated rats (p = 0.018). Addition of CP to EDS did not further increased germ cell apoptosis. CP+EDS increased apoptosis compared with control (p = 0.0011, dashed bracket) and HN prevented apoptosis in EDS+CP-treated rats (p = 0.04) (Fig. 3B. Dark bars). There were four rats in each group.