title: Does orchidopexy revert the histological alterations in epididymal and vas deferens caused by cryptorchidism?
abstract: Cryptorchidism is a pathological condition in which the testicles are retained in the abdominal cavity, resulting in atrophic seminiferous tubules. Some gross structural abnormalities and histological altercations have been described in the epididymis and vas deferens in humans with cryptorchidic testes. Orchidopexy surgery restores testicular spermatogenesis in experimental and clinical procedures, but it is still unclear whether histological changes in the epididymis and vas deferens caused by cryptorchidism may be reverted by orchidopexy. The aim of this study was to evaluated the histological changes in the epididymis and vas deferens following experimental uni- bilateral cryptorchidism in mature and immature mice, and to determine whether altercations could be reversed by orchidopexy. Young and adult C57 BL6 mice were randomized into three groups: control mice, bi/unilaterally cryptorchidic mice and bilaterally cryptorchidic mice with orchidopexy. After evaluation of testis, epididymis and vas deferens, there were no histological alterations in contralateral epididymis of mice unilaterally cryptorchidic. Ipsilateral epididymis of unilaterally cryptorchidic mice and epididymis from bilaterally cryptorchidic mice showed significant histological alterations. Orchuidopexy resorted normal spermatogenesis and the histological features of epididymis. It would appear that persistent male infertility clinically observed after orchidopexy could not be related to histological alteration in the testis and epididymis. Development and maintenance of the vas deferens seems to be controlled independently of the epididymis since it was not altered by cryptorchidism condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (Unicamp) Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Arrotéia
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Joazeiro
authors.forename: L A V
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013519:Urogenital Surgical Procedures; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000473:pathology*