Attempted protection of spermatogenesis from single doses of gamma-irradiation in the androgen pretreated rat.

Spermatogenic stem-cell survival after gamma-irradiation has been investigated in the adult Wistar rat. Single doses of 4.5 and 9 Gy gamma-rays were administered to the testes of rats who received arachis oil (0.1 ml/100 g body weight) or testosterone enanthate (240 micrograms/100 g body weight) subcutaneously three times weekly for 6 weeks prior to radiation and during the week in which the radiations were given. A mean percentage of regenerating seminiferous tubule cross-sections of 32.45% and 7.26% was found in the testes of androgen-pretreated rats at 8 weeks after 4.5 and 9 Gy, respectively. Similar values (33.4% and 6.2%) were obtained in arachis oil-pretreated controls. We therefore conclude that protection of rat spermatogenesis from single doses of gamma-rays cannot be achieved by androgen pretreatment.