[Murine "sympathetic orchitis" induced by unilateral testicular injury and autoimmune response].
BACKGROUND
Experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) has been studied as an animal model for human male immunological infertility. Most EAO models have been induced by immunization with testis antigens in artificial adjuvants. In this paper, we report a more clinical EAO model.


METHODS
Ten to 20 needle punctures were made to the unilateral testis of mice and it was crushed by a needle-holder.


RESULTS
Contralateral EAO (so-called "sympathetic orchitis") was gradually induced starting on Day 28. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH), one of the cell-mediated immunities, to autologous testicular cells (TC) as well as anti-TC antibodies, humoral immunity, were both detected in those mice. Repeated crush(es) of the ipsilateral testis two weeks later (and four weeks later) as a booster did not enhance the contralateral lesion or autoimmune responses.


CONCLUSIONS
Our present injury model mimics clinical testicular trauma; therefore, this testicular injury model can be very useful in studying the immunological mechanism of EAO and of human immunological male infertility.
Sakamoto
Y
Y
Department of Urology, JR Kyushu Hospital,Kyushu Railway Co.
Matsumoto
T
T
Mizunoe
Y
Y
Kumazawa
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009920:Orchitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology*