Cell specific action of 5-thio-D-glucose in mouse testis.

5-thio-D-glucose at 40 mg/kg body weight was administered daily by intraperitoneal injections to male C3H mice. The animals were studied via direct counts of the spermatogenic cells in histologic sections of the testes. These revealed the selective loss or injury of early spermatids followed later in treatment by significantly diminished spermatocyte number. Spermatogonia and Sertoli cells were not significantly affected by thiosugar. After 35 daily doses, testicular and epithelium was noted. The results are indicative of an early drug action on spermatids with later effects on spermatocytes. Recovery began within three weeks of drug withdrawal and was characterized by restoration of the severely disturbed architecture and with the progressive resumption of spermatogenesis. Epididymis sperm counts returned to 91 percent that of control animals; however, testis weights remained somewhat below normal.