TABLE 1.
Phenotypes of Ink4c-null, Ink4d-null, and Ink4cd double-null male mice
| Strain genotype | Fertility | Testis wt (mg)a | Sperm countb | Seminiferous tubule histochemistry | Testosterone (ng/ml)b | Leydig cells | FSH (ng/ml)b |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild type | Fertile | 124 ± 10.3 | 3.0 × 107 ± 0.8 × 107 | Normal | 13.5 ± 2.8 | Normal | 18.4 ± 3.6 |
| Ink4c−/− | Fertile | 149 ± 12.7 | 4.5 × 107 ± 1.4 × 107 | Normal | 3.52 ± 1.3 | Hyperplasticc | 19.1 ± 5.1 |
| Ink4d−/− | Fertile | 101 ± 18.4 | 2.0 × 107 ± 0.7 × 107 | Meiotic delay, increased apoptosis | 9.89 ± 2.8 | Normal | 35.8 ± 7.5 |
| Ink4cd−/− | Infertile | 84.2 ± 9.9 | 0.44 × 107 ± 0.3 × 107 | Pronounced meiotic delay, greatly increased apoptosis | 2.84 ± 0.56 | Hyperplasticc | 45.0 ± 11 |
a
Testes from 6-month-old mice (wild type, n = 10; Ink4c null, n = 18; Ink4d null, n = 14; Ink4cd double null, n = 15). Data are averages ± standard deviations.
b
Total number recovered per mouse using 10- to 14-week-old males. Numbers represent averages ± standard deviations from five or more animals of each genotype.
c
Hyperplastic Leydig cells did not appear to differentiate based on the relatively low levels of histochemically detectable P450scc, the rate-limiting enzyme for steroid biogenesis.