Objective
To assess cell death in intratesticular grafts. Design: Experimental animal study. Setting: University. Animal(s): F1-hybrids from SV129 X C57BL. Intervention(s): Intratesticular tissue transplantation was performed and cell death in the grafts was evaluated at different time points after transplantation. Main outcome measure(s): Apoptotic cell death in spermatogonia was evaluated by flow cytometry with the use of the annexin V assay. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate graft development and the global occurrence of cell death. Result(s): The highest level of spermatogonia-specific cell death was found on days 4 and 10, although no statistical difference was observed compared with control tissue. Statistically significant reductions in tubule integrity were observed 1 day and 2 months after transplantation. More degenerated tubules were observed in the center of the grafts 1 and 4 days after transplantation, and higher numbers of apoptotic tubules were found 1 day after transplantation. No difference in overall cell death was observed between grafts and controls for any time point except for the frozen grafts 1 day after transplantation.