Figure 4

Representative histology of normal or wet-heat-treated testes and seminiferous tubules. A-D: hematoxylin and eosin stained cross-sections of untreated testis. The tall seminiferous epithelium contains many spermatocytes (sp), round spermatids (rs) and condensing spermatids (cs). Tails (t) of condensing spermatids and newly released testicular sperm are seen in the lumen (Lu) of some tubules. E-H: testis cross-section stained two weeks after wet heat treatment. Almost all tubules have enlarged luminal diameters after treatment with heat alone. The seminiferous epithelium (e) is reduced in height due to the loss of many spermatocytes and spermatids. Some tubules have disorganized epithelium (*).