title: Testicular circulatory isolation: not a cause of immune-mediated testis injury in the rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Testicular circulatory isolation (TCI), a regional drug exclusion approach designed to prevent chemotherapy-induced male infertility, can reduce testicular drug exposure and preserve fertility. The immunological sequelae of this surgical procedure were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty Sprague-Dawley rats received unilateral TCI for 45 min and were killed at intervals of up to 43 days later. Testicular histology was evaluated qualitatively using hematoxylin and eosin stain, a direct immunofluorescent technique for detection of antigen-antibody complexes, and an indirect immunofluorescent technique to detect circulating antitestis antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No immune-mediated injury was evident up to 43 days after TCI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current work, taken together with previously published data, indicate that TCI produces no immunological damage in the rat testis. Because TCI is well tolerated in humans, this work also supports the institution of human clinical trials of this technique in men about to receive fertility-threatening chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St. Louis University Medical Center, St. Louis, MO 63110-0250, USA.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Liebscher
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Tolman
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Janney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D007511:Ischemia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology