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Analyse morphométrique semi quantitative de l’histologie testiculaire au cours du vieillissement

Semiquantitative morphometric study of testicular aging

Andrologie volume 13, pages 288–297 (2003)Cite this article

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Les analyses macroscopiques, histologiques et morphomètriques du tissue testiculaire, effectuées sur des sujets âgés de 53 à 102 ans et ayant fait don de leur corps au Centre des Saints-Pères, montrent une grande variabilité individuelle, avec de très sévères altérations de la spermatogenèse dès 65 ans ou au contraire une spermatogenèse conservée jusqu’à l’âge de 95 ans. Les anomalies morphologiques détectées au niveau du testicule se manifestent principalement par une diminution du nombre des cellules de Sertoli et des cellules germinales, et par une augmentation de l’épaisseur de la membrane propre. Les cellules de Leydig s’hypertrophient avec l’âge, mais peuvent disparaître chez les sujets les plus âgés. Néanmoins, 19 des 39 sujets âgés de plus de 60 ans avaient une spermatogenèse complète et des spermatozoïdes présents dans certains tubes. Deux questions restent posées, celle des bases (génétiques et/ou environnementales) de cette variabilité individuelle et celle des accidents génétiques qui peuvent survenir au cours des méioses de ces hommes très âgés.

Abstract

Testicular aging is usually studied using sperm and quantitative hormone analysis. Testicular samples are obviously difficult to obtain from a control aging population. Body donations from the Anatomy Department of the Saint-Peres University provided access to testicular samples from deceased men between the ages of 53 to 102 years. We present the first results of a semiquantitative histological morphometric study of testicular aging. We studied a series of 39 subjects. After removal of the sample within the first 24 hours, several investigations were conducted. Macroscopic examination (volume, weight) was followed by histological examination and computer-assisted morphometric analysis: N.I.H images based on the following parameters: (i) transverse sections of the seminiferous tubules (total surface, thickness of the basal membrane, and nuclear density of Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatozoids; (ii) histological sections were studied for interstitial tissue, number of clusters and the surface occupied by Leydig cells (percentage per parenchyma area), their appearance, size and nuclear density were determined; (iii) this study was completed by visual count of the various cell types in the seminiferous epithelium.

The results obtained on a series of 39 subjects aged from 53 to 102 showed various alterations, such as thickening of the tunica albuginea and basal membrane and intertubule hyalinization. The most frequent histological pattern of the aging testis is a mosaic of various seminiferous tubule lesions varying from tubules with complete although reduced spermatogenesis to entirely sclerosed tubules. Individual variations are extremely marked with major alterations of spermatogenesis as early as 60 years old, with atrophied Leydig cells and, on the contrary, preserved spermatogenesis until the age of 95 years.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Embryologie, UFR Biomédicale des Saints-Pères, Paris

    Lucia Bicchieray, Imen Ben Ftima, Martine Albert, Marianne Bergere, Nicole Parseghian, Mbarka Dakouane & Jacqueline Selva

  2. Centre de Recherche sur la Pathologie Prostatique E 9 3104, Génopole, Evry

    Olivier Cussenot

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  1. Lucia Bicchieray
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  2. Imen Ben Ftima
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  3. Martine Albert
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  4. Marianne Bergere
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  5. Olivier Cussenot
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  6. Nicole Parseghian
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  7. Mbarka Dakouane
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  8. Jacqueline Selva
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Correspondence to Lucia Bicchieray.

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Bicchieray, L., Ftima, I.B., Albert, M. et al. Analyse morphométrique semi quantitative de l’histologie testiculaire au cours du vieillissement. Androl. 13, 288–297 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03034883

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Basic and Clinical Andrology

ISSN: 2051-4190