[Expression of hypoxia induced factor-1alpha and function of epididymis in varicocele: experiment with rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of hypoxia induced factor-la (HIF-1alpha) and the content of sialic acid and carnitine in the epididymis in varicocele (VC) and to investigate the mechanism of induction of epididymis dysfunction by VC.


METHODS
Forty-five Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: experimental group undergoing decreasing of the diameter of the left renal vein so as to cause VC, control group, and sham operation group. 49 days after the operation the left epididymis samples were collected. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the HIF-1alpha expression. The contents of sialic acid and carnitine were detected.


RESULTS
The HIF-1alpha expression level detected by Western blotting of the experimental group was 0.96 +/- 0.65, significantly higher than those of the control group (0.11 +/- 0.08) and sham operation group (0.07 +/- 0.05) (both P < 0.05); and the positive rate of HIF-1alpha detected with immunohistochemistry of the experimental group was 91.67%, significantly higher than those of the control group (16.67%) and sham operation group (21.43%) (both P < 0.01). The contents of sialic acid and carnitine in the epididymis of the experimental group were 6.3 +/- 2.3 and 1.1 +/- 0.3 respectively, both significantly lower than those of the control group (24.7 +/- 4.4 and 2.8 +/- 0.6) and sham operation group (26.1 +/- 4.4 and 3.2 +/- 0.6) (all P < 0.05). The contents of sialic acid and carnitine in the epididymis were significantly negatively correlated with the HIF-1alpha expression (r = -0.649, P = 0.017; r = -0.666, P = 0.013).


CONCLUSIONS
VC causes epididymal hypoxia and epididymal dysfunction, and hypoxia plays an important role in VC induced epididymal dysfunction.
Wang
Hai-feng
HF
Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
Shi
Ben-kang
BK
Chu
Ming-mei
MM
Zhang
Ke-qin
KQ
Zhu
Yao-feng
YF
Li
Yong-zhi
YZ
Wang
Hai-xin
HX
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002331:Carnitine / Q000378:metabolism; D004822:Epididymis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014646:Varicocele / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D002331:Carnitine