Impact of the chemotherapeutic agents bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin on spermatogenesis, sperm quality and mutation rates in the offspring, using the λ Select-cII mutation detection system (#103)
Although testicular
cancer is the most common oncological diagnosis in young males of reproductive
age, treatments for this condition are extremely effective leading to survival
rates that approach 100%. As a result, concerns have been raised about the subsequent
fertility of men following cancer treatment as well as the health and wellbeing
of their offspring. Existing data on this issue are inconclusive, so an
analysis has been undertaken of sperm quality and fertility of mice exposed to
a chemotherapeutic regime including bleomycin, etoposide and cis-platinum
(BEP). By conducting these studies in the Big Blue® transgenic mouse, the mutational load carried by the testes and offspring
of treated males has also been quantified. A 3-week exposure to BEP induced
complete azoospermia associated with a loss of developing germ cells and
extensive vacuolization of Sertoli cell cytoplasm. Following cessation of
treatment, spermatozoa first appeared in the caput epididymis after 6 weeks and
by 12 weeks motile spermatozoa could be recovered from the cauda. However,
relative to control animals, the motility of these cells was significantly
impaired and mitochondrial superoxide generation was significantly elevated.
Despite this increase in free radical generation, no evidence of chromatin
instability in these spermatozoa was detected. Furthermore, embryos obtained
from females mated at this 12-week time point showed no evidence of an
increased mutational load. We conclude that, notwithstanding the damaging
impact of BEP therapy on spermatogenesis and sperm quality, the absence of an
increased mutational load in the offspring represents encouraging news for men
contemplating a family following chemotherapy for testicular cancer.