The role of ketotifen in the prevention of testicular damage in rats with experimental unilateral undescended testes

Abstract

The aims of this study conducted on rats were to determine mast cell (MC) proliferation on undescended testes (UDTs); whether there is a correlation between MC proliferation and testicular damage; and whether testicular damage can be prevented with administration of an MC blocker. Sixty-five newborn male rats were divided into three groups. During the neonatal period, unilateral UDTs were experimentally induced in Group 2 and Group 3. The rats in Group 3 were given 1 mg/kg/day ketotifen orally until the end of the study. Groups 2 (n=30) and 3 (n=15) were divided into groups of ten and five rats, respectively, each of which underwent bilateral orchiectomy in either the prepubertal, pubertal, or adult period. Group 1 (n=15) underwent a sham operation followed by bilateral orchiectomy, with five rats in each of the prepubertal, pubertal, and adult periods. Testicular MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas, biopsy scores, interstitial connective tissue, seminiferous tubule (ST) diameters, and the basement membrane thickness of STs were evaluated. In Group 2 the ST diameters in the UDTs decreased, the number of MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas increased, ST basement membranes thickened, and spermatogenesis decreased. The number of MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas of the descended testes increased and spermatogenesis decreased. In Group 3, the number of MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas decreased. In unilateral UDTs, the number of MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas increased in both testes. Fibrosis developed in the ST basement membranes and interstitial areas, and spermatogenesis deteriorated. Testicular fibrosis may be prevented with administration of an MC blocker.

Immune Cell Subtypes and Their Function in the Testis

“…Here, the serine protease tryptase enhances fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis, inducing fibrosis of the seminiferous tubules (62). MC might also regulate fibrosis by activating matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue MMP inhibitors (63).…”

Undescended testicle: An update on fertility in cryptorchid men

“…This may provide an invaluable source of autologous male gametes for treating male infertility in azoospermic patients. Acikgoz et al 63 have demonstrated that the number of mast cells are increased in interstitial and sub-tubular locations in rats with unilateral cryptorchidism resulting in fibrosis and deterioration of spermatogenesis. Ketotifen, a mast cell blocker was effective in interruption of this process of inflammation and fibrosis before and after surgical treatment.…”

Role of chymase in the local renin-angiotensin system in keloids: inhibition of chymase may be an effective therapeutic approach to treat keloids

“… 22 One possible reason may be the pretreatment KFs with the supernatants of mast cells. In the supernatant, there are various enzymes, cytokines 10 , 44 – 49 (such as interleukin, GM-CSF [granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor], bFGF [basic fibroblast growth factor], TGF-β, and TNF-α), and active material (histamine, heparin, platelet activating factor, proteoglycan, etc). They may have actions on fibroblasts to regulate the expression of the relevant protein participating in fibrosis.…”