title: Consequences of epididymal ligation on prepubertal rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study prospectively experimental effects of unilateral epididymal obstruction on testis and epididymis histopathologically in prepubertal rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Organ weights, mean seminiferous tubule diameter (MSTD), mean ductus epididymis diameter (MDED), mean tubular biopsy scores (MTBS) and histopathology of 21 male albino Wistar rats were compared with the immunostaining affinity of anti-desmin, anti-vimentin, anti-laminin and anti-collagen antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis of mean weight of testes, MTBS, mean epididymal weight, MDED and MSTD was significant. Evaluation of testis and epididymis revealed cellular damage, basal membrane impairment and granulomatous infiltration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Histopathologic alterations with MSTD are early indicators for ipsilateral and contralateral injury. Even the presence of criteria such as intactness and cellular integrity does not guarantee there is no sperm leakage or immunologic damage. Therefore the impairment of basal integrity is a switch code in determining spermatogenic failure.
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. haktug35@yahoo.com.tr
authors: Hüseyin
authors: H
authors: Aktug
authors: Kaan
authors: K
authors: Ozdedeli
authors: Baris
authors: B
authors: Altay
authors: Ibrahim
authors: I
authors: Cüreklibatur
authors: Burak
authors: B
authors: Turna
authors: Ozlem
authors: O
authors: Yilmaz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004822:Epididymis / Q000473:pathology*; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*