Objective: To establish an in vitro model for the development of mouse spermatogenic cells into sperm by using the immunodefective mouse as the incubator.
Methods: Tissue grafting was performed using testis from 1-2 days old Kun-ming mice as donor tissue and immunodefective mice as recipients; the expression of TESK1 mRNA in grafts was determined by RT-PCR and the spermatogenesis further observed with histological analysis of grafts.
Results: Molecular biological and histological analyses showed that grafts post-grafting not only expressed TESK1 mRNA as in normal mouse testis, but also exhibited similarities in the structure of seminiferous tubules and component of spermatogenic cells, including sperms.
Conclusion: Spermatogenic cells heterotopically grafted in vitro could continuously grow and complete spermatogenesis and finally develop into sperm.