title: Ultrastructural changes in rabbit testis and epididymis following vasectomy: a long term study.
abstract: The Ultrastructural changes in testis and epididymis were studied in rabbits following 18 months of bilateral vasectomy. No fine structural changes were observed in seminiferous tubules and all stages of spermatogenesis appeared normal in most of the sample studied. Intracellular spaces in the spermatogonia cytoplasm may denote ionic deficiency. Digestion of sperms to some extent in the lumen of seminiferous tubules was denoted by the presence of round membrane bound bodies which may be remnants of digested cytoplasmic organelles and sperm parts. Cells of the epididymal epithelium showed normal characteristics. Electron dense bodies (lysosomes) were more prevalent in the supranuclear region of principal cells suggesting increased resorption capacity of caput epididymis after vasectomy. Presence of large oval bodies in the lumen needs further investigation.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004822:Epididymis / Q000473:pathology*; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D012670:Seminiferous Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013079:Sperm Maturation; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*; D014659:Vasectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*