Abstract
Vol.39 No.1
- « prev
- ↑Table of Contents
- next »
Original
Seminiferous tubule development and germ cell proliferation occur asynchronously in the mouse
JMOR, 39(1) 49-59, 2022
Relatively few studies have examined the development of seminiferous tubules in the late embryonic and neonatal stages of mice, especially with regard to the proliferation of germ cells. In this study, the relationship between the development of seminiferous tubules and the proliferation of germ cells was investigated in mice from the late embryonic to neonatal period. Seminiferous tubule development and germ cell proliferation were evaluated histologically. The results show that from E15.5 to E16.5, the germ cell density decreased rapidly, but there was no change in the testis cord area. From E16.5 to E17.5, although the testis cord area reduced by half, the germ cell density was maintained even though the germ cell number did not change in this period. These results indicate that the testis cord greatly elongates from E15.5 to P0, especially in the period from E15.5 to E17.5. They also indicate that germ cell proliferation is not synchronous with seminiferous tubule expansion and that elongation of the testis cord occurs from the late embryonic stage until birth. Using these observations, a model of germ cell and seminiferous tubule development was constructed.
