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Caryometric study of spermatogenesis in the rat

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Summary

The nuclear volume of the cells of the seminiferous epithelium was studied throughout the stage of the spermatogenesis in the rat, and the moment of the pre-meiotic synthesis of DNA was determined through quantitative histophotometric measurements.

During spermatogenesis the cells showed a sudden volume variation from Spermatogonia A until the initial period of stage Pachytene. Next, followed a long period of continuous growth of the nuclear volume, ending at the first meiotic division.

The premeiotic synthesis of the DNA was represented by a duplication of the amount of DNA of the nucleus; this happened during the stage Spermatocyte I “resting”, It was not followed by a duplication of the nuclear volume, but by a increase of only approximately 47%.

Our data suggest that the sudden modifications in the nuclear volume during the period between the stages Spermatogonia A and Zygotene + Pachytene A, are caused by assynchronic duplication or demediation of two different types of nuclear constituents.

The continuous growth of the nuclear volume would depend upon a different mechanism.

  1. 1)

    During spermatogenesis the cells show sudden volume variation from Spermatogenia A until the initial period of stage Pachytene, Pachytene A according to our nomenclature. Taking the nuclear volume during the stages Zygotene and Pachytene A for reference and assuming 2.000 as their arbitrary value, during this period of spermatogenesis the mean nuclear volume evolves as follows:

    Spermatogonia A: 2.192; Spermatogonia I: 1.532 Spermatogonia B and “Resting A”: 0.957; “Resting B” and Leptotene: 1.407; Zygotene and Pachytene A: 2.000. It is assumed that during this period of the spermatogenesis there are demediations of nuclear volume followed by a return to its initial volume; however, in the latter as well as in the former there are intermediary phases which constitute Schreiber'S “sesquiphases” (1947).

  2. 2)

    Next, follows a long period of continuous growth of the nuclear volume, ending at the first meiotic division. The maximum value observed corresponds to 8.570 in our system of units.

  3. 3)

    The volume of the spermatocyte II is not constant; throughout its existence it increase from a initial value which could not be exactly determined till a volume corresponding to a 2.582 value. This value is well below half of the Spermatocyte I in stage Diplotene.

    The volume of the spermatid does not change during the initial period of its existence. Its mean value equals 2.146, which is 1/4 of that of the Spermatocyte I in stage Diplotene. After this initial period the Spermatid volume decreases; for technical reasons measurements were not conducted during this period.

  4. 4)

    It was found that the premeiotic synthesis of the DNA is represented by a duplication of the amount of DNA of the nucleus; this happens during the stage Spermatocyte I “resting”. “Resting A” is the stage before the duplication of the DNA.

  5. 5)

    The duplication of the amount of the DNA, in stage Spermatocyte I “resting”, is not followed by a duplication of the nuclear volume, but by an increase of only approximately 47%.

  6. 6)

    Our data suggest that the modifications in the nuclear volume during the period between the stages Spermatogonia A and Zygotene + Pachytene A, are caused by asynchronic duplication or demediation of two different types of nuclear constituents: the first shows a variation proportional to the amount of the nuclear DNA while the variation of the second is not related to the DNA; the latter is called “residual material” in order to avoid any assumptions about its nature.

    It was possible to calculate the relative volumes related to these two types of constituents. Being 2 N the volume related to the diploid amount of DNA and 2 R the volume related to the “residual material” found in the stage Zygotene + Paohytene A, the following values were calculated, with our system of units: 2N = 0.429: 2 R = 1.108.

  7. 7)

    The observed variations in volume are in agreement with the hypothesis which assumes a variation of the constituents according to the following scheme:

    Spermatogonia I: 2 N + 2 R; Spermatogonia B and “Resting A”: 2 N + 1R; “Resting B” and Leptotene: 4N + 1R; Zygotene and Pachytene A: 4 N + 2 R.

  8. 8)

    The period of the continuous growth of the nuclear volume from stage Pachytene B till stage Diplotene, depends upon a different mechanism, as the “residual material” does not vary in simple definite proportions.

  9. 9)

    During the first meiotic division the “residual material” seems to pass into the cytoplasm. It returns, only partially, to the nucleus during the life-span of Spermatocyte II. After the second meiotic division, the “residual material” returns completely to the nucleus of the Spermatids; therefore, the whole four daughter spermatids, originating from one Spermatocyte I, contain exactly the same amount of “residual material” found in Spermatocyte I, immediately before its first meiotic division.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Functional and Applied Human Morphology, Ribeirão Prêto School of Medicine, Universidad de São Paulo, Germany

    A. L. Ferreira, L. Lison & V. Valeri

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  1. A. L. Ferreira
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  2. L. Lison
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  3. V. Valeri
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Ferreira, A.L., Lison, L. & Valeri, V. Caryometric study of spermatogenesis in the rat. Z. Zellforsch. 76, 31–55 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337032

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