The Effect of Testicular Cryoablation on Testosterone Level in Rats: An Experimental Model of Histopathological Orchiectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether testicular cryoablation caused histopathological orchiectomy, and to show its effects on serum total testosterone (t-testosterone) levels in rats.


METHODS
A total of 12 Wistar albino male rats were used in this study. The animals were divided into two groups, as cryoablation (9 rats) and control (3 rats) groups. Bilateral cryoablation was performed in the cryoablation group. T-testosterone levels were measured in both groups before scrotal exploration. Bilateral or­chiectomy was performed in both groups 10 days after the cryoablation procedure. T-testosterone was measured immediately before orchiectomy. Mann-Whitney U test was used for intergroup comparisons.


RESULTS
Baseline t-testosterone levels were 1.31 (0.78-2.45) ng/mL and 0.98 (0.91-2.05) ng/mL in the cryoab­lation and the control groups, respectively (P = .92). T-testosterone levels were 0.23 (0.07-1.12) ng/mL and 2.87 (0.63-3.06) ng/mL in the cryoablation and the control groups, respectively, in the blood samples obtained at the time of orchiectomy (P = .03). Histopathological examination of rat testes revealed varying degrees of paratestic­ular inflammation and necrosis in 13 of 18 testes in the cryoablation group. None of 6 testes showed necrosis in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study showed that histopathological orchiectomy could be obtained by cryoablation in rat testes.
Departments of Urology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Serkan
S
Ozcan
Departments of Urology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Emre
E
Huri
Departments of Pathology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. drdoluoglu@yahoo.com.tr.
Omer Gokhan
OG
Doluoglu
Departments of Urology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Tolga
T
Karakan
Departments of Pathology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Elif
E
Ozer
Departments of Biochemistry, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Vildan
V
Fidanci
Departments of Urology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Muzaffer
M
Eroglu
Departments of Urology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Sema
S
Hucumenoglu
D000818:Animals; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D013739:Testosterone