An Effect of Anti-Testicular Rabbit Serum on Rat Testis

Soh, Byoung Uck; Kim, Kee Soo

Abstract

Evidence of the antigenicity of testis and semen was first presented at the end of the last century. Landsteiner (1899), Metchnikoff (1900), and Metalnikoff (1900) demonstrated the induction of a spermotoxic antibody in animals sensitized with testicular homogenate or semen; this antibody was capable of immobilizing sperm cells. The earliest manifestation of homologous type of antisperm sensitization (Kennedy, 1924) was the immobilization of spermatozoa, and in some cases atrophy of germinal epithelium, following repeated injection of testicular homogenate or epidydimal sperm. Ryoo and Kim (1982) reported that spermatogenesis was adversely affected with degeneration and sloughing of germinal cells of the seminiferous tubules in the mice which were immunized with testis homogenate plus complete Freund's adjuvant. The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of antitesticular rabbit serum produced against rat testis on spermatogenesis in rat. The results were as follows: 1.Theseminiferous tubules showed mild to moderate impairment of spermatogenesis such as degeneration and exfoliation of germinal epithelium in all experimental groups. Intraluminal spermatozoa of seminiferous tubules were decreased in number. Interspaces of seminiferous tubules were wider than normal and were infiltrated with mononuclear cells with some hemorrhage. 2. Intraluminal spermatozoa of the epididymides were markedly decreased in number but immature sperm cells were observed much more often than in normal control group.