title: Effects of aescin on testicular repairment in rats with experimentally induced varicocele.
abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of aescin treatment in a rodent model treated with an experimentally induced varicocele. Experimental varicocele was induced by partial ligation of the left renal vein of rats. Aescin administration was performed daily for 4 weeks after the varicocele induction. Seven weeks later, a contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed of the rats' testis to assess testicular blood flow. The animals were sacrificed, and H&E staining was then used to evaluate testicular pathological changes and polymorphonuclear leucocytes density. Cauda epididymal sperm counts and motility were evaluated. Blood was collected for the measurement of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone and testosterone. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound showed that there were significant decreases in testicular blood flow in the aescin-treated groups compared with those in control varicocele group. Testicular oedema was detected in those rats treated with a varicocele but without aescin, while no oedema was found in the experimental group. H&E staining showed dysfunctional spermatogenesis in both cohorts; however, polymorphonuclear leucocytes density was significantly reduced in aescin-treated groups. There was an increase in sperm counts of the aescin-treated groups. Our study demonstrated that aescin could exert therapeutical effects on reversal of testicular lesions in varicocele rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shanghai Human Sperm Bank, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Z S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Z Z
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Z P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Y R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004928:Escin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014646:Varicocele / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D004928:Escin; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone
keywords: Aescin; blood flow; therapy; varicocele