Testicular effects of 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB). II. Immunolocalization of germ cells using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) as an endogenous marker.

The applicability of PCNA as a tool for the analysis of germ cells in rats treated with 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB), a potent testicular toxicant, was evaluated. Male Fischer 344 (F344) rats were gavaged with TNB at 71 mg/kg or with corn oil (vehicle). Rats were killed after 10 daily oral doses or were allowed to recover for 10 or 30 d after the 10 doses. Testes from control rats, treated rats, and rats allowed to recover were immunohistochemically stained for PCNA. PCNA labeling in the control rats was confined to the nuclei of spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes, and nuclei of elongate spermatocytes. Conventional (hematoxylin and eosin) staining of testes from rats treated with TNB at 71 mg/kg for 10 d revealed loss of germ cells and cessation of spermatogenesis. Immunohistochemical staining of sections from these treated rats revealed only PCNA-positive spermatogonia. Rats allowed a 10-d recovery had both spermatogonial and spermatocytic staining, indicating partial restoration of germ-cell population. In rats allowed to recover for 30 d, the PCNA staining pattern was identical to the control rats. These results indicate that PCNA can be used to assess the proliferative status of spermatogonia (germ cells) in rodent testes exposed to testicular toxicants.