Less calcium in cremaster muscles of boys with undescended testis supports a deficiency in sympathetic innervation.
In addition to an increase in contractility, contracted fibers and small and electron-dense mitochondria have suggested an increase of cytosolic Ca(2+) within the cremaster muscles (CM) associated with undescended testis. Therefore, the Ca(2+) content of CM associated with an undescended testis was determined and compared with the Ca(2+) content associated with inguinal hernia and hydrocele and in internal oblique muscles. CM samples from boys with undescended testis (n = 9), inguinal hernia (n = 15), and hydrocele (n = 7) and from girls with inguinal hernia (n = 8) were obtained. The calcium contents of these samples and of samples from internal oblique muscle (n = 6) were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. While the Ca(2+) contents of CM from boys with undescended testis and from girls with inguinal hernia were similar (p > 0.05), the internal oblique muscle and the CM from boys with inguinal hernia and hydrocele contained more Ca(2+) than CM from boys with undescended testis (p < 0.05). Despite evidence of an increase in cytosolic calcium, the decrease in total calcium content suggests a decrease in the adenylyl cyclase activity, thus inhibition of influx of Ca(2+), but an increase in phospholipase C activity, and generation of more inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and mobilization of calcium from internal stores. Since the sympathetic system acts through adenylyl cyclase in striated muscles and is sexually dimorphic, similar Ca(2+) contents as encountered in girls suggest an alteration in the balance of autonomic innervation against the sympathetic system in boys with undescended testis.
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. ctanyel@gen.hun.edu.tr
F Cahit
FC
Tanyel
N Nuray
NN
Ulusu
E Ferhan
EF
Tezcan
Nebil
N
Büyükpamukçu
D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000209:etiology*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015544:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000378:metabolism; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism
D015544:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D002118:Calcium