Effect of testicular biopsy in childhood on spermatogenesis, fertility, and paternity in adulthood--a mouse model study.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of testicular biopsy in childhood on spermatogenesis, fertility, and paternity in subsequent adulthood using an animal model. Considerable controversy exists as to whether testicular biopsy should be performed in children.


METHODS
Four-week-old male ICR mice were subjected to unilateral testicular biopsy (group 1), bilateral biopsy (group 2), or a sham operation (group 3). At 8 weeks of age, the testicular weight, seminiferous tubular diameter, and manifestation of apoptosis were examined. The motility of sperm obtained from the epididymides of the same testes was also examined. Fertility and paternity was assessed in each mouse by housing it with 2 age-matched females for 2 weeks.


RESULTS
No significant differences were found in the testicular weight, mean seminiferous tubular diameter, or number of apoptotic germ cells between the biopsied and unbiopsied side in group 1 or between groups 2 and 3. No significant differences were noted in the average sperm motility rate between the biopsied (30.5% +/- 14.5%) and unbiopsied side (35.8% +/- 19.2%) in group 1, or between groups 2 (37.6% +/- 18.0%) and 3 (39.3% +/- 10.0%). All females who coupled with the male mice in all groups became pregnant. The average number of offspring from the 2 female mice was not significantly different among the three groups (group 1, 13.1 +/- 2.3; group 2, 12.3 +/- 2.0; and group 3, 11.3 +/- 3.0).


CONCLUSIONS
The spermatogenesis, fertility, and paternity of mature mice were unaffected by testicular biopsy in childhood.
Nakane
Akihiro
A
Department of Nephro-urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
Kojima
Yoshiyuki
Y
Hayashi
Yutaro
Y
Kurokawa
Satoshi
S
Mizuno
Kentaro
K
Kohri
Kenjiro
K
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D005298:Fertility; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*