Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hormonal Regulation of Germ Cell Apoptosis

  • Chapter
Book cover Germ Cell Development, Division, Disruption and Death

Part of the book series: Serono Symposia USA Norwell, Massachusetts ((SERONOSYMP))

Abstract

Apoptosis is a genetically encoded programmed cell death mechanism in which cells die in a controlled fashion either spontaneously or in response to changes in the levels of specific physiological stimuli (1–4). This unique mode of cell death has long been known to be a fundamental feature of animal development and serves as a prominent mechanism in the elimination of cells that have been produced in excess, which have developed improperly, or that have sustained genetic damage, and can be modulated in various cell types by a wide variety of regulatory stimuli (5). These diverse regulatory stimuli or signals may act to either suppress or promote the activation of the death program, and the same signals may actually have opposing effects on different cell types. Derangements of apoptosis can have deleterious consequences, as noted in several human disease states including cancer, AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), autoimmuno-diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders (5–7).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Wyllie AH, Kerr JFR, Currie AR. Cell death: the significance of apoptosis. Int Rev Cytol 1980;68:251–306.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Schwartzman RA, Cidlowski JA. Apoptosis: the biochemistry and molecular biology of programmed cell death. Endocr Rev 1993;14:133–51.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Majno G, Joris I. Apoptosis, oncosis, and necrosis—an overview of cell death. Am J Pathol 1995;146:3–15.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Samali A, Gorman AM, Cotter TG. Apoptosis—the story so far. Experientia (Basal) 1996;52:933–41.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Thompson CB. Apoptosis in the pathogenesis and treatment of disease. Science 1995;267:1456–62.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Savil J. Apoptosis in disease. Eur J Clin Invest 1994;24:715–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Nagata S, Golstein P. The Fas death factor. Science 1995;267:1449–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Russell LD, Etllin RA, Sinha Hikim AP, Clegg ED. Histological and histopathological evaluation of the testis. Clearwater, FL: Cache River Press, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Sharpe RM. Regulation of spermatogenesis. In: Knobil E, Neil JD, eds. The physiology of reproduction. New York: Raven Press, 1994:1363–434.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Huckins C. The morphology and kinetics of spermatogonial degeneration in normal adult rats: an analysis using a simplified classification of germinal epithelium. Anat Rec 1978;190:905–26.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Allan DJ, Harmon BV, Kerr JFR. Cell death in spermatogenesis. In: Potten CS, ed. Perspectives on mammalian cell death. London: Oxford University Press, 1987:229–58.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Russell LD, Clermont Y. Degeneration of germ cells in normal, hypophysectomized and hormone treated hypophysectomized rats. Anat Rec 1997;187:347–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bartlett JMS, Kerr JB, Sharpe RM. The effect of selective destruction and regeneration of rat Leydig cells on the intratesticular distribution of testosterone and morphology of the seminiferous epithelium. J Androl 1986;7:240–53.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Sinha Hikim AP, Swerdloff RS. Temporal and stage-specific changes in spermatogenesis of rat after gonadotropin deprivation by a potent gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist treatment. Endocrinology 1993;133:2161–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Tapanainen JS, Tilly JL, Vihko KK, Hsueh AJW. Hormonal control of apoptotic cell death in the testis: gonadotropins and androgens as testicular cell survival factors. Mol Endocrinol 1993;7:643–50.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Billig H, Furata I, Rivier C, Tapanainen J, Parvinen M, Hsueh AJW. Apoptosis in testis germ cells: developmental changes in gonadotropin dependence and localization to selective stages. Endocrinology 1995;136:5–12.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Sinha Hikim AP, Wang C, Leung A, Swerdloff RS. Involvement of apoptosis in the induction of germ cell degeneration in adult rats after gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist treatment. Endocrinology 1995;136:2770–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Henriksen K, Hakovirta H, Parvinen M. Testosterone inhibits and induces apoptosis in rat seminiferous tubules in a stage-specific manner: in situ quantification in squash preparations after administration of ethane dimethane sulfonate. Endocrinology 1995;136:3285–91.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Brinkworth MH, Weinbauer GF, Schlatt S, Nieschlag E. Identification of male germ cells undergoing apoptosis in adult rats. J Reprod Fertil 1995;105:25–33.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Blanco-Rodriguez J, Martinez-Garcia. Induction of apoptotic cell death in seminiferous tubule of the adult rat testis: assessment of the germ cell types that exhibit the ability to enter apoptosis after hormone suppression by oestradiol treatment. Int J Androl 1996;19:237–47.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bardin CW, Cheng CY, Musto NA, Gunsalus G. The Sertoli cell. In: Knobil E, Neil JD, eds. The physiology of reproduction. New York: Raven Press, 1994:1363–434.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Bremner WJ, Millar MR, Sharpe RM, Saunders PTK. Immunohistochemical localization of androgen receptors in the rat testis: evidence for stage-dependent expression and regulation by androgen. Endocrinology 1994;135:1227–34.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Parvinen M. Cyclic function of Sertoli cells. In: Russell LD, Griswold MD, eds. The Sertoli cell. Clearwater, FL: Cache River Press, 1993:331–47.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Sinha Hikim AP, Swerdloff RS. Time course of recovery of spermatogenesis and Leydig cell function after cessation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist treatment in the adult rat. Endocrinology 1994;134:1627–34.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sinha Hikim AP, Swerdloff RSS. Temporal and stage-specific effects of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone on the maintenance of spermatogenesis in gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist-treated rat. Endocrinology 1995; 136:253–61.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. McLachlan RI, Wreford NG, DeKretser DM, Robertson DM. The effects of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone on the restoration of spermatogenesis in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone-immunized adult rat. Endocrinology 1995;136:4035–43.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. O’Donnel L, McLachlan RI, Wreford NG, Robertson DM. Testosterone promotes the conversion of round spermatids between stages VII and VIII of the rat spermatogenic cycle. Endocrinology 1994;135:2608–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. McLachlan RI, Wreford NG, Meachem SJ, de Kretser DM, Robertson DM. Effects of testosterone on spermatogenic cell populations in the adult rat. Biol Reprod 1994;51:945–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Rea MA, Marshall GR, Weinbauer GF, Nieschlag E. Testosterone maintains pituitary and serum FSH and spermatogenesis in GnRH-A suppressed rats. J Endocrinol 1986;108:101–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Bhasin S, Fielder T, Peacock N, Sod-Moriah A, Swerdloff R.S. Dissociating antifertility effects of GnRH-A from its adverse effects on mating behavior in male rats. Am J Physiol 1988;254:E84–91.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Chowdhury AK, Steinberger E. A quantitative study of the effect of heat on germinal epithelium of rat testes. Am J Anat 1964; 115:509–24.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Collins P, Lacy D. Studies on the structure and function of the mammalian testis. II. Cytological and histochemical observations on the testis of the rat after a single exposure to heat applied for different lengths of time. Proc Soc Lond 1969;172:17–38.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Yonish-Rouach E. The p53 tumor suppressor gene: a mediator of G1 arrest and apoptosis. Experientia (Basel) 1996;52:1001–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Levine AJ. p53, the cellular gatekeeper for growth and division. Cell 1997;88:323–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Pollard JW, Hunt JW, Wiktor-Jedrzejczak W, Stanley ER. A pregnancy defect in the osteopetrotic (op/op) mouse demonstrates the requirement for CSF-1 in female fertility. Dev Biol 1991;148:273–82.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Cohen PE, Chisholm O, Arceci RJ, Stanley ER, Pollard JW. Absence of colony-stimulating factor-1 in osteopetrotic (csfmop/csfmop) mice results in male fertility defects. Biol Reprod 1996;55:310–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Hales DB. Leydig cell macrophage interactions: an overview. In: Payne AH, Hardy MP, Russell LD, eds. The Leydig cell. Vienna, IL: Cache River Press, 1996:451–65.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Ronald S. Swerdloff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. YanHe Lue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christina Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tripathi Rajavashisth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Amiya Sinha Hikim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Reproductive Biology Department of Population Dynamics School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Barry R. Zirkin Ph.D.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Swerdloff, R.S., Lue, Y., Wang, C., Rajavashisth, T., Hikim, A.S. (1998). Hormonal Regulation of Germ Cell Apoptosis. In: Zirkin, B.R. (eds) Germ Cell Development, Division, Disruption and Death. Serono Symposia USA Norwell, Massachusetts. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2206-4_15

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2206-4_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7458-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2206-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation