title: Effect of epidermal growth factor on spermatogenesis in the cryptorchid rat.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is secreted mainly from the submandibular glands. Submandibular gland ablation causes a marked decrease in male fertility, which suggests that EGF influences spermatogenesis. We investigated the effect of EGF in combination with orchiopexy on cryptorchid rat testes in which tubular deterioration had become partially irreversible.
  
  
  METHODS
  Unilaterally cryptorchid rats were obtained by daily administration of 7.5 mg flutamide (Nihonkayaku, Tokyo, Japan), an androgen receptor antagonist, to pregnant rats. At age 10 weeks the unilaterally cryptorchid rats underwent orchiopexy with or without EGF administered into the cryptorchid testis. EGF solution (10 microg/ml) was delivered into the seminiferous tubules by retrograde perfusion through the rete testis. At 14 days testicular recovery was assessed based on the maturity of spermatogenesis using a modified Johnsen score and from the number of apoptotic germ cells per seminiferous tubule.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean Johnsen score +/- SEM was significantly higher in the orchiopexy with EGF than in the orchiopexy without EGF group (7.85 +/- 0.12 vs 7.12 +/- 0.13, p <0.001). The number of apoptotic germ cells tended to be smaller in the orchiopexy with EGF group than in the orchiopexy without EGF group (0.16 +/- 0.05 vs 0.28 +/- 0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although orchiopexy for cryptorchidism partly improved spermatogenesis, recovery was limited. EGF administered in combination with orchiopexy was more effective for spermatogenesis than orchiopexy alone. This may be applicable in patients with cryptorchidism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephro-urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurokawa
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakane
authors.forename: Yutaro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Kenjiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kohri
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor