Morphological changes in the mammalian vas deferens during aging. I. The occurrence of binuclear cells in the mouse

Possible relationship between micronucleated and binucleated cells induced by cisplatin in cultured CHO cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were treated with a single dose (10 micrograms/ml) of cis-diamminodichloroplatinum (II) (cisplatin) for 1 h and the effect of the drug on the kinetics of proliferation of the cultures was studied. It was found that the drug produces a delay in the proliferation rates of the treated cultures. The induction of micronuclei and binucleated cells (BC) at different times after treatment have also been studied, and the ability of these cells to undergo DNA synthesis (measured as the ability to incorporate [3H]thymidine) is shown. It was also found that cisplatin induced a particular type of BC that contains one or more micronuclei rather than a pure population of BC. The results obtained show a possible relationship between micronuclei and BC. The possibility that some of the micronucleated cells evolve in subsequent cell divisions to BC with micronuclei is suggested.

Male mouse accessory sex glands in organ culture

Explants of epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicle, and coagulating gland from 10-12-week-old and 7-8-month-old male Swiss Webster mice were maintained in synthetic media without serum or hormones for up to 28 days. Differences were observed in the survival and responses of each gland and the behavior of the principal and basal cells. Epithelial cell migration was pronounced in the vas, moderate in the epididymis, and low in the seminal and coagulating gland. The incidence of basal cell proliferation, hyperplasia, and squamous metaplasia usually was positively related to the frequency of basal cells in the zero-time explants. Few differences were observed between the survival or responses of explants from young and old animals; however, explant culture appears useful for exploring fundamental properties of each accessory sex gland, especially the properties of basal cells.