p53−/− rats have higher rates of atrophy and other testicular
pathology than p53+/+. p53+/+ and
p53−/− rat testis sections were stained with H&E.
Histological images show a normal seminiferous tubule in a
p53+/+ testis (A), as well as examples of atrophy (B), a large
vacuole (C, arrow), and germ cell sloughing (D) in p53−/−
testes. Scale bar = 60 μm. Arrowheads in B identify
spermatogonia in the atrophic tubule. p53−/− testes display
significantly increased levels of seminiferous tubule atrophy (E) and large
vacuoles (F), but not sloughing (G), compared to the wild-type. When all
abnormalities were considered together, p53−/− rats also had a
significantly higher rate than wild-type (H). Mean ± SEM reported in
E–H. Scored 51–73 tubules per left testis from each animal (mean
= 57.3 tubules). *p < 0.05 by the
Mann-Whitney U test (atrophy, vacuoles, all) or t-test (sloughing) (n =
5 rats).