title: Stereological and morphometric analysis of collagen and seminiferous tubules in testes of patients with cryptorchidism submitted or not to treatment with human chorionic gonadotrophin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quantify the distribution of collagen and analyze the seminiferous tubules diameter in the testis of patients with cryptorchidism, to verify if the previous use of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) affects these structures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of parenchymal tissue of cryptorchid testis obtained during peroperative biopsies were collected from 26 patients. Sixteen samples were embedded in paraffin and stained with picrosirius red to evidence fibers of collagen system. The quantification of these fibers was determined by stereological methods, using a test system M-42. To obtain seminiferous tubules diameter we used 10 of the 26 samples. These samples were embedded in Epon and the analyses were carried out in semi-thin sections, stained with toluidin blue. The selected results of each group were statistically analyzed and compared by the student's t and Tukey-Kramer's tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The testicular interstitium and lamina propria of patients treated with hCG showed statistically significant less collagen system fibers, when compared to the testes of patients nontreated (0.30% versus 0.39%, p = 0.0079). The seminiferous tubules diameters were not statistically significant different between the testes of patients treated and nontreated with hCG (67.5 versus 59.35 microm, p = 0.0609).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  hCG use in the cryptorchidism could delay, at least temporarily, a progressive growth of fibers of collagen system. We did not find statistically significant difference in the seminiferous tubular diameters between treated and nontreated patients.
authors.affiliation: Urogenital Research Unit, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. favorito@uerj.br
authors.forename: Luciano A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Favorito
authors.forename: Archimedes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Helena M F
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Pazos
authors.forename: Waldemar S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Francisco J B
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Sampaio
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D003094:Collagen