Biochemical studies of the rat seminiferous epithelial wave : DNA and RNA syntheses and effects of adriamycin

Abstract

When a freshly isolated unstained rat seminiferous tubule is transilluminated under a dissection stereomicroscope, its light absorption pattern varies, depending on the characteristic positions of the acrosome and maturation phase spermatids in relation to the germinal epithelium. This variation permits individual segments of the seminiferous epithelial wave to be recognized and separated, thus opening new possibilities for morphological and biochemical studies of spermatogenesis. In this study, isolated tubular segments were incubated in the presence of radioactive nucleic acid precursors to measure the rate of