Heat induced apoptosis and autophagy in germ cells of mice testes.

<p>(A) Visualization of TUNEL positive apoptotic cells in sections of testis in untreated control mice and 30 min, 2 h, 6 h, 12 h, 2 d after heat-treated mice. Scale bar 50 μm; Right panel, apoptotic rate of spermatogenic cells in the control mice and mice at 12 h after heat treatment were presented in the bar charts (n = 3), **compared with untreated mice P<0.01. (B) Western blot for LC3 using lysates from testis of untreated mice or mice at different times after heat treatment; Right panel, the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I were presented in the bar charts (n = 3), * compared with untreated mice P<0.05; ** compared with untreated mice P<0.01 (C) High resolution electron micrographs of testes tissues from untreated mice (n = 3, upper panel) and 12 h after heat-treated mice (n = 3, under panel). The arrows indicated the double membrane-surrounded autophagosomes in the spermatogenic cells.