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Meiosis in Autologous Ectopic Transplants of Immature Testicular Tissue Grafted to Callithrix jacchus¹

Institute of Reproductive Medicine,³ University Münster, 48129 Münster, Germany Department of Cell Biology and Physiology,⁴ University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261

ABSTRACT

Grafting of immature testicular tissue provides a tool to examine testicular development and may offer a perspective for preservation of fertility in prepubertal patients. Successful xenografting in mice, resulting in mature spermatids, has been performed in several species but has failed with testicular tissues from the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus. Previous data indicate that the hormonal milieu provided by the mouse host might cause this failure. We conducted autologous ectopic transplantation of testicular fragments under the back skin in newborn marmoset monkeys. Seventeen months after transplantation, we found viable transplants in 2 out of the 4 grafted animals. In the transplants, tubules developed up to a state intermediate between the pregraft situation and adult controls. Dividing spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes were present. Boule-like positivity and CDC25A negativity indicated that spermatogenesis was arrested at early meiosis. Immunohistochemistry revealed normal maturation of Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, and peritubular cells. Serum testosterone values were not restored to the normal range and bioactive chorionic gonadotropin levels increased to castrate levels. Meiotic arrest could have occurred in the grafts because of lack of sufficient testosterone or because of hyperthermia caused by the ectopic position of the grafts. We conclude that autologous transplants of immature testicular tissues in the marmoset can mature up to meiosis but that normal serum testosterone levels are not restored. Further studies have to be performed to overcome the meiotic arrest to explore the model further and to develop therapeutic options.

chorionic gonadotropin, gametogenesis, grafting, hormones, meiosis, morphometry, nonhuman primate, testis, testis development, testosterone

¹ Supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG; grant SCHL 394/6–1).

² Correspondence: Joachim Wistuba, Institute of Reproductive Medicine, University Münster, Domagkstrasse 11, 48129 Münster, Germany. FAX: 49 251 835 6093; joachim.wistuba{at}ukmuenster.de

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