In situ demonstration of both TUNEL-labeled germ cell and Sertoli cell in the cimetidine-treated rats.

Cimetidine has caused dysfunction in the male reproductive system. In the rat testis, intratubular alterations and loss of peritubular tissue due to peritubular myoid cell death by apoptosis have been recently shown. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate which cells of the seminiferous epithelium have been affected and/or died by apoptosis after the treatment with cimetidine. For this purpose, an experimental group containing five male albino Wistar rats received intraperitoneal injections of cimetidine (50 mg/kg body weight) during 52 days. The testes were fixed with 4% buffered formaldehyde and were embedded in paraffin. For detection of DNA breaks (apoptosis) in the cells of the seminiferous epithelium, the testicular sections were treated by the TUNEL method (Apop-Tag Plus Peroxidase Kit). In the tubules affected by cimetidine, altered peritubular tissue, including the presence of TUNEL labeling in the myoid peritubular cells, were usually found. In these tubules, the seminiferous epithelium exhibited low density of germ cells and TUNEL-positive labeling in the germ cells of the basal compartment. The concomitant staining in both germ cells of the basal compartment and late spermatids suggest a sensitivity of these cells in the damaged tubules. Besides germ cells, TUNEL-positive Sertoli cells were also found in the injured seminiferous tubules. Thus, a relationship between dying germ cells and Sertoli cell damage and/or death must be considered in tubules where peritubular tissue has been affected by toxicants.