Degeneration of Germ Cells in the Testes of Tumor-bearing Rats (Studies on Abnormal Nuclear Divisions, 6)

Abstract

In most cases, the testes of the Yoshida sarcoma rats were confined to the abdominal cavity during the latter part of their life span. These elevated testes are highly disorganized showing a remarkable decrease in size. Quite similar condition of the testis was found to occur also in the MTK-sarcomas.
Microscopical observations of the elevated testes showed that little or no spermatogenetic activity was occurring. The seminiferous tubules had shrunk as a result of the disintegration of germ cells. The germ cells showed various types of mitotic abnormalities.
A tentative conclusion was made on the cause of the degeneration of germ cells in the elevated testis of the tumor animal that, the influence of strange environmental condition of the elevated testis, coupled with the effect of the injurious body fluid produced by the tumor, may form the cause of the disturbance in the supplies of blood, nutrient and other secreting substances in the testis, and this may result in the production of mitotic abnormality in germ cells which are most suscep-tible to strange environment.