Radiation-Induced Male Sterility is due to Damage in the Somatic Testicular Cells and not the Spermatogonia

Marvin L. Meistrich, Ph.D.
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
R01ES008075

Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that male sterility caused by exposure to radiation, such as that experienced during cancer treatment, is due to damage to the somatic cells within the testis. This finding is the opposite of the widely held belief that the sterility is a direct effect of damage to the spermatogonial stem cells.

The investigative team used laboratory rats and mice to conduct their experiments; however, they are confident that the results will hold true for humans. They transplanted populations of rat testicular cells containing stem spermatogonia that express green fluorescent protein into a variety of host animals. Transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells from untreated rats into irradiated rat testes showed that the stem cells were able to colonize their new surroundings, but were not able to develop and grow; a process called differentiation.

With the advances in cancer therapy leading to longer survival, quality of life issues especially in children and young adults are increasingly important. The ability to father children is one such quality of life issue. Autologous transplantation of preserved spermatogonia is being investigated as a potential method to regenerate spermatogenesis in former cancer patients treated with chemotherapy or radiation. These findings suggest that transplanted spermatogonial stem cells may not be able to differentiate due to damage to other testicular cells and further suggest that additional treatments focusing on the somatic environment may be necessary.

Citation: Zhang Z, Shao S, Meistrich ML. The radiation-induced block in spermatogonial differentiation is due to damage to the somatic environment, not the germ cells. J Cell Physiol. 2007 Apr;211(1):149-58.