Flow cytometric DNA analysis demonstrates contralateral testicular deterioration in experimental unilateral testicular torsion of prepubertal rats

Abstract

It has been postulated that unilateral testicular torsion causes damage to the contralateral testis and reduces fertility. However, in animal studies such an effect has not been fully proven by histopathologic examination or other conventional assays of spermatogenesis. We investigated the effect of unilateral testicular torsion on contralateral spermatogenesis in prepubertal rats using quantitative flow cytometric DNA analysis. Male rats were divided into three groups which underwent sham-operation, simple hemiorchiectomy or unilateral testicular torsion. Five weeks after these operations, fertility and spermatogenesis by flow cytometry were evaluated. No significant differences were observed in body weight, contralateral testicular weight or serum testosterone concentration among the three experimental groups. In the torsion group, mean seminiferous tubular diameter, number of foetuses, fertility rate and percentage of haploid cells were all significantly decreased compared to the other two groups. These results suggest that unilateral testicular torsion causes damage to the contralateral testis and consequently can reduce the future fertility of prepubertal rats.

The Effects of Local and Systemic Growth Hormone Treatment on Germ Cell Population and Fertility in an Experimental Unilateral Testicular Torsion and Orchiectomy Model

“…21 Haploid cells, denoting spermatids and spermatozoa in an adult rat testis, make up 60% of the cells. 6,23 Fertility, fecundity and potency of a adult rat is expected to be 0.90 to 1.00. 13 When we accepted these results as a wild-type group and compared them with the results in our sham operated group using the Student t-test, there was no significant difference between the sham operated group and the wild-type group.…”

“…However, histopathological germ cell injury, delayed spermatogenesis and a decreased haploid cell percentage were demonstrated by DNA flow cytometry, which is safe and useful method to evaluate haploid cells and germ cell differentiation. 6,23 Previous studies have shown that there is significant decrease in the haploid cell population in both testes, although more significantly in the affected testis after 1, 5, 6 and 12 hours of experimental testicular torsion. 6,11 However, fertility parameters were not investigated in those series.…”

“…6,23 Previous studies have shown that there is significant decrease in the haploid cell population in both testes, although more significantly in the affected testis after 1, 5, 6 and 12 hours of experimental testicular torsion. 6,11 However, fertility parameters were not investigated in those series. In accordance with our results Riberia et al noted that reproductive function was not altered in a rat model of 4-hour 720-degree torsion of testis, although testicular morphology was altered.…”

“…However, there is morphological germ cell injury and a decreased percentage of haploid cells. 6 GROWTH HORMONE IN TESTICULAR TORSION AND ORCHIECTOMY MODEL 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 …”

“…8e10 Acrosomal enzymes secreted from the injured testis, antisperm antibodies released after impairment of the blood-testis barrier, germ cell apoptosis because of testicular oxidative stress after reperfusion injury, hypoxic products released from the contralateral testis as a result of the reflex decrease in blood flow and primary defects in spermatogenesis are the factors proposed to be responsible for contralateral testicular injury. 2e4, 6,7,11,12 There are many experimental studies of preserving the testes and fertility using different substances which may potentially reduce ischemiareperfusion injury after surgical detorsion of the testis. 2,13e15 In these studies the preventive treatments were applied before or shortly after unilateral testicular torsion was done.…”