Figure 4

Evidence for seminiferous cord rupture as the source of focal dysgenetic areas in DBP-MPW animals. At e20.5, several examples of seminiferous cords in the process of breaking up could be found in testes of DBP-MPW exposed animals, delineated by the white dotted lines. Rupture can be seen to be releasing Sertoli (red) and germ cells (green) from the cords into the interstitial compartment. Sections were triple immunostained for SOX9 (red, Sertoli cells), VASA (green, germ cells), and smooth muscle actin (blue, peritubular myoid cells, blood vessels). Note the lack of SMA immunoexpression at the point where cord rupture appears to be happening, whereas SMA immunoexpression is present at the intact end of the seminiferous cords. Arrows = germ cells that have migrated to the basal lamina.