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Cytological organization of the seminiferous epithelium in the Australian rodents Pseudomys australis and Notomys alexis

Summary. Absolute and relative testis mass of two species of conilurine rodents, the plains rat (Pseudomys australis) and the hopping mouse (Notomys alexis), were markedly different. In plains rats the testis comprised 3% of body mass while in hopping mice they rarely accounted for more than 0·2%. In both species, 8 cellular associations, or cycle stages, were recognized in the seminiferous epithelium. The relative freqencies, and hence durations, of Stages I to VIII were 5·1, 7·0, 12·5,10·5,5·4,25·9,4·4 and 29·0% of one cycle for plains rats (N = 14), and 20·4,10·9,9·6,8·1,5·1,20·4,14·7 and 10·8% for laboratory-bred hopping mice (N = 35). Generally, the relative durations of the cycle stages were very similar between plains rat individuals, but were variable between hopping mice. Also, organization of the seminiferous epithelium was less rigid in hopping mouse testes, and several anomalies were observed. These included: (1) the occurrence of 2–4 cellular associations in about 20% (range 11·3–33·9%) of tubular cross-sections, (2) deviations in cellular composition in certain cycle stages from that usually observed, and (3) an increased incidence of degenerating cells, together with the presence of multinucleated 'giant' cells, within the seminiferous epithelium.