Changes of rat testicular germ cell apoptosis after high power microwave radiation / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of high power microwave (HPM) radiation on the testicular germ cell apoptosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and twenty-five Spraque-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups, unexposed control group and experimental group(further divided into four subgroups: 10 mW/cm2 5 min, 10 mW/cm2 10 min, 20 mw/cm2 5 min, and 20 mW/cm2 10 min), and then the experimental group was radiated with S wave band of 10 mW/cm2, 20 mW/cm2 high power microwave for 5 or 10 min. Testicular samples were taken at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 5 d after radiation and separately studied. At the end of the process, testicular germ cell apoptosis was detected by in situ terminal deoxynucleotityl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of apoptotic cells of the 6 h, 24 h and 48 h experimental groups at 5 min after 10 and 20 mW/cm2 radiation was remarkably larger than that of the controls (P < 0.01), especially after 10 mW/cm2 radiation, the number of the 6 h group reached the peak (161.27 +/- 5.90) /5 convoluted seminiferous tubules. The changes in the other experimental groups had no significant difference compared with the controls (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HPM can increase germ cell apoptosis of the rat testis, which is related to the time of radiation and sample acquisition. In the condition of the present test, 5 minutes of HPM radiation may significantly enhance testicular germ cell apoptosis and damage, which in turn may influence the reproductive function of the rats.</p>