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Quantitative histological analysis and ultrastructure of the aging human testis

  • Urology - Original Paper
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Abstract

Purpose

To quantitatively assess the histological and ultrastructural changes resulting from aging in the human testis.

Methods

Age-related histological and ultrastructural changes were evaluated using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunohistochemistry on 41 testicular samples obtained from elderly men and, respectively, assigned to group A (n = 20), 54–69 years old or group B (n = 21), 70–89 years old. Testicular samples derived from 17 young men were used for control.

Results

The numbers of Sertoli cells in the aged groups were significantly lower than that in the controls (p < 0.05). With the exception of the Sertoli cell ratios (germ cells/Sertoli cells) of spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes, results showed lower levels of the Sertoli cell ratios of round spermatids and elongated spermatids in the elderly men compared with the young men (p < 0.05). A similar degenerative pattern of the organelles was shown in germ cells and Sertoli cells in the aging testes under TEM. Immunohistochemistry revealed an increased apoptosis index (AI) (0.81 ± 0.13) accompanied by a decreased proliferation index (PI) (30.08 ± 4.86) in the group B (p < 0.05), while both AI and PI were similar between the group A (0.54 ± 0.06; 36.38 ± 7.38) and the controls (0.50 ± 0.15; 40.55 ± 7.92) (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Aging has negative influence on testicular morphology and spermatogenesis, and the failure of spermatogenic cell development is evident from the spermatid level.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by the National “Twelfth Five-Year” Plan for Science and Technology Support (2012BAI32B03).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Reproductive Immunology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, 601# Huangpu Da Dao Xi, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China

    Huan Jiang, Wei-Jie Zhu & Qiu-Ju Chen

  2. Department of Pathophysiology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China

    Jing Li

  3. Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, People’s Republic of China

    Wei-Bo Liang

  4. National Research Institute for Family Planning, No. 12 Da Hui Si, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, People’s Republic of China

    Yi-Qun Gu

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  1. Huan Jiang
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  2. Wei-Jie Zhu
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  3. Jing Li
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  4. Qiu-Ju Chen
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  5. Wei-Bo Liang
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Correspondence to Wei-Jie Zhu or Yi-Qun Gu.

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Jiang, H., Zhu, WJ., Li, J. et al. Quantitative histological analysis and ultrastructure of the aging human testis. Int Urol Nephrol 46, 879–885 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-013-0610-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-013-0610-0

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