PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS AND SECRETION BY THE RAT SEMINIFEROUS TUBULE IN-VIVO NOT AFFECTED BY EXPERIMENTAL VARICOCELE

Purpose: Varicocele is associated with testicular dysfunction and male infertility. In vivo protein synthesis and secretion by the seminifer ous tubules can be studied as an overall assessment of Sertoli cell fu nction. The present experiments were undertaken to determine the effec t of experimental left varicocele (ELV) on seminiferous tubule protein synthesis and secretion. Materials and Methods: Androgen binding prot ein (ABP) was determined in native testicular interstitial fluid by ra dioimmunoassay. S-35-methionine was perifused around seminiferous tubu les in vivo in testes of control rats and those with 30 day ELV, Inter stitial fluid (IF) and lumen fluid (LF) were subsequently collected by micropuncture, and a tubule extract (TE) was prepared. Proteins in al l fluids were subjected to one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis an d autoradiography to evaluate the total synthesized proteins (those in TE) as well as the secreted proteins (those in LF). Results: Two-dime nsional electrophoresis allowed detection of approximately 170 protein s synthesized by the seminiferous tubules in vive with 60 of those bei ng secreted into the tubule lumen within a 3-hour time period. Experim ental left varicocele significantly reduced the concentration of a spe cific protein, ABP, in ipsilateral interstitial fluid, but more extens ive evaluation of protein synthesis and secretion into the tubule lume n did not corroborate a significant change in protein synthesis and se cretion by rat seminiferous tubules under the influence of varicocele. Conclusions: Experimental varicocele does not significantly alter the panel of proteins synthesized by rat seminiferous tubules and secrete d into the lumen in vive, At this level it does not appear that altere d Sertoli cell function is within the primary mechanism of dysfunction subsequent to varicocele.