The Blood-Testis Barrier in Men with Varicocele: A Lanthanum Tracer Study

Cameron, Don F.; Snydle, Frank E.

doi:10.1016/s0015-0282(16)44958-7

Cited by 24 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In experimentally induced varicocele in rats, there is a higher antisperm antibody level than in sham and non-operated rats [24]. Unfortunately, it has been demonstrated in earlier studies that the status of blood-testis barrier in varicocele pathophysiology is unclear [2,3,23,27]. Turner et al investigated that adult male rats with induced experimental left varicocele (ELV) were subjected to a variety of studies to determine the mechanism by which unilateral ELV causes a bilateral testicular response and shown that the mechanism by which unilateral ELV produces a bilateral change in testicular or epididymal function is not by altering the blood-testis barrier, epididymal temperature or electrolyte concentrations, or testicular blood gas concentrations [27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Little is known about the impact of the varicocele on blood-testis barrier [2,3,27]. Tight junctional complexes form between adjacent Sertoli cells and this constitutes the intraepithelial component of the blood-testis barrier [6].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the other study, testicular biopsy specimens which were processed for ultrastructural and intercellular tracer studies using lanthanum nitrate were obtained from otherwise healthy males with varicocele. The presence of severe dissolution of the adluminal testicular compartment as evidenced in varicocele, both the basal compartment and the blood-testis barrier remain relatively normal [2]. Testicular biopsies from otherwise healthy men with diagnosed varicocele were processed for light and electron microscopy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In vitro, cells lacking a-catenin are unable to form stable adherent junctions despite normal E-cadherin-b-catenin expression, and when a-catenin expression is restored by cDNA transfection, the transfected cells form normal epithelial structures [12]. Methods have been carried out to examine the relationship between blood-testis barrier and pathophysiological mechanism of varicocele [2,3,23,26,27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Varicocele-Induced Testicular Dysfunction May Be Associated with Disruption of Blood-Testis Barrier

Koksal¹,

Ishak²,

Usta³

et al. 2007

Archives of Andrology

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The objective of this study was to examine E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression at the junctions between adjacent Sertoli cells in testicular specimens from patients with varicocele in order to determine the presence of a possible link between blood-testis barrier and pathophysiology of varicocele. A total of 51 testicular biopsies were obtained from 28 infertile men with unilateral or bilateral varicocele. Twenty-three patients had bilateral and 5 had unilateral varicocele, Grade I varicocele was detected in 30 (59%), grade II in 15 (29%) and grade III in 6 (12%) patients. Abnormal expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin at the junctions between adjacent Sertoli cells was demonstrated in 100% and 90% of the patients with varicocele, respectively. In those with grade I-III varicocele, the mean E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression were 7.6 +/- 11.4 and 39 +/- 36; 7.6 +/- 0.0 and 49 +/- 30; 8.3 +/- 9.3 and 58 +/- 33, respectively, but the difference was not significant. Reduced E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression at the junctions between adjacent Sertoli cells may be associated with disruption of blood-testis barrier in varicocele.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Varicocele-Induced Testicular Dysfunction May Be Associated with Disruption of Blood-Testis Barrier

Koksal¹,

Ishak²,

Usta³

et al. 2007

Archives of Andrology

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show abstract

“…Although some investigators have found that antisperm antibodies are increased in both animal models [44,45] and human patients, fundamentally, the blood-testis barrier remains intact in patients with varicoceles [46]. Therefore, the role of autoimmunity in the pathophysiology of varicoceles remains to be proven.…”

Section: Pathophysiology and Pathologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Current management of the adolescent varicocele

Gargollo¹,

Diamond

2009

Curr Urol Rep

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Adolescents with varicoceles represent a large and heterogeneous group. This patient population has rapidly changing hormonal levels and may present at different stages of physical and pubertal development. At the same time, the adolescent varicocele is becoming a more widely appreciated and diagnosed entity with an estimated incidence of 15% to 29%. Although research into the pathophysiology and appropriate management is evolving, the implications of this disease for this age group are difficult to ascertain. Specifically, it remains unclear which patients need intervention and when the optimal time is to intervene. This review aims to clarify some of the controversy and to provide the most contemporary understanding of this disease entity.

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Interstitial compartment pathology and spermatogenic disruption in testes from impotent diabetic men

1985

Self Cite

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Studies utilizing animal models of diabetes suggest that diabetic complications of impotence involve structural lesions in the testis as part of an overall defect in the pituitary-testicular axis. In the present study testicular biopsies from ten oligospermic and/or impotent men with diabetes were evaluated by light and electron microscopy. One biopsy was judged normal. The remaining tissue showed variable testicular pathology ranging from minimally to grossly affected. Seminiferous tubules had decreased tubule diameters, hyalinized tubule walls, and occluded lumina owing either to epithelial encroachment or cellular debris and exfoliated round germ cells. Sertoli cells were vacuolated and showed a high degree of apical cell membrane redundancy and degeneration. Although Sertoli-Sertoli cell junctional complexes appeared normal, Sertoli junctional specializations associated with spermatids were structurally abnormal or absent. All tubules were variably depleted of adluminal compartment germ cell types. The interstitial compartment was filled with a collagen-rich extracellular matrix concentrated around small blood vessels and seminiferous tubule walls. Capillaries and lymphatic endothelia appeared structurally abnormal and compromised by the interstitial "matrix expansion." Some Leydig cells contained a variable number of small to large lipid droplets, vacuoles, and secondary lysosomes. Results indicate the presence of tissue pathology in testes of impotent diabetic men. Discrete ultrastructural lesions in apical Sertoli cell cytoplasm are associated with spermatogenic disruption and morphological changes in the interstitial compartment suggest microvascular complications.

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The Blood-Testis Barrier in Men with Varicocele: A Lanthanum Tracer Study

Cited by 24 publications

References 20 publications

Varicocele-Induced Testicular Dysfunction May Be Associated with Disruption of Blood-Testis Barrier

Varicocele-Induced Testicular Dysfunction May Be Associated with Disruption of Blood-Testis Barrier

Current management of the adolescent varicocele

Interstitial compartment pathology and spermatogenic disruption in testes from impotent diabetic men

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