title: Testicular microcirculation in the rat studied by videophotometric capillaroscopy, fluorescence microscopy and laser Doppler flowmetry.
abstract: Testicular capillary blood flow was studied in rats using laser Doppler flowmetry, in vivo fluorescence microscopy and videophotometric capillaroscopy. All the methods revealed rhythmical oscillations in testicular microcirculation with a periodicity of 4-10 c.p.m. In arterioles, capillaries and small post-capillary vessels, periods of continuous blood flow alternated with periods of no or very low flow. No visible leakage of dextran-150 was observed from the testicular blood vessels. Four, 8 and 16 h after an s.c. injection of 200 IU hCG the blood flow was continuous and there was leakage of dextran-150 from the microvessels to the interstitial tissue. Twenty-four and 32 h after hCG the blood flow pattern was again rhythmical, and at 32 h there was no leakage of dextran-150. This suggests that hCG induces changes in blood flow and transvascular fluid exchange in the testis, perhaps by altering smooth muscle activity at the arteriolar-level.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010783:Photometry; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012212:Rheology; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply*; D014743:Videotape Recording
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin