Rat testicular germ cell type(s) targeted by anti-spermatogenic agents in vivo and their recovery on withdrawal of treatment-A flow cytometric study

Spermatogenesis goes through very critically and precisely balanced ratios of germ cells with diverse DNA ploidies (1C, 2C and 4C). Antispermatogenic agents that reversibly interrupt spermatogenesis may have a contraceptive relevance. With a view to study the precise mechanism of action of antispermatogenic agents and identify the germ cell type(s) targeted by various agents in vivo, spermatogenic cells with diverse DNA ploidies were measured in rat testis during treatment and recovery with compounds CDRI-84/35, gossypol and estradiol, using Flow Cytometry. Rats were treated with either CDRI-84/35 (100 mg/(kg day) for 15 days followed by 25 mg/(kg day) for 55 days) or gossypol (20 mg/(kg day) for 70 days) or estradiol benzoate (2.5 μg/(rat day) for 70 days) and 3 rats from each group were sacrificed after 22, 41, 53 and 70 days of treatment to monitor the changes in population of 1C, 2C, S-phase and 4C germ cell types. Treatment with CDRI-84/35 resulted in a significant and rapid drop in 1C population with a concomitant and parallel rise in 2C population. In gossypol-treated animals 1C peak disappeared gradually and the arrest was seen predominantly at 2C stage and partially at 4C stage. At the end of the treatment most of the germ cells were arrested at 2C stage. Estradiol affected spermatogenesis differently with 1C population falling in complement to rise in both 2C and 4C peaks. Germ cells were mainly arrested at the 4C stage after the treatment. The data suggest that germ cells fail to enter meiosis in CDRI-84/35-treated rats. Few cells entering meiosis do not complete the cell division and remain arrested at 4C stage. However in case of estradiol and gossypol the meiotic 4C cells become incapable of further differentiation into haploid cells. After receiving 70 days of treatment a few rats were allowed to recover for 60, 90 and 120 days. The population of various germ cell types in the testis of recovery-group animals indicated that spermatogenesis resumes substantially in case of estradiol treatment and partially in case of treatment with the other two agents.