Testicular recovery after irradiation differs in prepubertal and pubertal non-human primates, and can be enhanced by autologous germ cell transplantation

BACKGROUND: Although infertility is a serious concern in survivors of pediatric cancers, little is known about the influence of the degree of sexual maturation at the time of irradiation on spermatogenic recovery after treatment. Thus, we address this question in a non-human primate model, the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). METHODS: Two pubertal (testis size 3 and 6.5 ml, no sperm in ejaculate) and four prepubertal (testis size 1 ml, no sperm in ejaculate) macaques were submitted to a single fraction of testicular irradiation (10 Gy). Unilateral autologous transfer of cryopreserved testis cells was performed 2 months after irradiation. Testicular volume, histology and semen parameters were analyzed to assess irradiation effects and testicular recovery. RESULTS: Irradiation provoked acute testis involution only in the two pubertal monkeys. Subsequently, testis sizes recovered and sperm was present in the ejaculates. Longitudinal outgrowth of seminiferous tubules continued, and, in testes without autologous cell transfer, 4-22% of tubular cross sections showed spermatogenesis 2 years after irradiation. In contrast, the four prepubertal monkeys showed neither a detectable involution as direct response to irradiation, nor a detectable growth of seminiferous tubules later. However, two of these animals showed spermarche 2 years after irradiation, and 8-12% of tubules presented spermatogenesis. One prepubertally irradiated monkey presented fast growth of one testis after cell transfer, and showed spermarche 1 year after irradiation. The infused testis had spermatogenesis in 70% of the tubules. The contralateral testis remained smaller. CONCLUSION: We conclude that irradiation before puberty has a severe detrimental effect on outgrowth of seminiferous tubules. But, within the seminiferous epithelium, spermatogenetic recovery occurs at a low rate with no detectable relation to the maturity of the epithelium at irradiation. We also show that autologous testis cell transplantation can enhance spermatogenesis, but only in isolated cases.