Figure 4
Functional transplantation assay of SSCs cultured with pGDNF. (A) Fluorescent images of transplanted testes. Clump-forming germ cells derived from GFP mice were expanded in the presence of pGDNF or hGDNF for 2 weeks following transplantation. Purified recombinant hGDNF was used as a control. Bars = 1 mm. sup, supernatant; std, standard. (B) Histological analysis of transplanted testes. A hematoxylin and eosin stained cross-section of recipient testes transplanted with clump-forming germ cells cultured with pGDNF is shown. Elongated spermatids were observed (inset). Bar = 50 µm. (C) Spermatogenic colony number per 105 cells transplanted. Culture supernatants from pGDNF-293 and hGDNF-293, and standard hGDNF showed an equivalent effect on the proliferative activity of murine SSCs. Data are shown as mean ± SEM, and 20, 29 and 17 recipient testes were analysed for pGDNF-293, hGDNF-293 and standard hGDNF, respectively.
