Consequences of epididymal ligation on prepubertal rats.
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.
Aktug
Hüseyin
H
Department of Histology and Embryology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. haktug35@yahoo.com.tr
Ozdedeli
Kaan
K
Altay
Baris
B
Cüreklibatur
Ibrahim
I
Turna
Burak
B
Yilmaz
Ozlem
O
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*