DNA FLOW-CYTOMETRY OF LEFT AND RIGHT TESTES IN NORMOSPERMIC PATIENTS AFFECTED BY LEFT VARICOCELE

To assess whether changes in spermatogenesis are present in men suffer ing from varicocele who are still normospermic, a comparative how cyto metric analysis of the left and right testicular DNA content was perfo rmed on 26 young normospermic males (sperm density >20x10(6)/ml), with varying degrees of asthenospermia, Cell samples were obtained by fine needle aspiration biopsy, Flow cytometric analysis revealed four peak s in the nuclear DNA content: (i) two peaks for haploid cells (1-A), t he first composed of highly condensed nuclear cells (1Ac), essentially spermatozoa, and the second of less condensed cells, essentially sper matids (1-Anc); (ii) a third peak of diploid cells (2-D): somatic cell s, G1-stage spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocytes and (ii i) a fourth peak of tetraploid cells, essentially post-leptotene prima ry spermatocytes and G2-M-stage spermatogonia (4-T). Flow cytometry sh owed the left testis to have a lower percentage of haploid cells than the right (mean 48.4 +/- 17.9 versus 57 +/- 15.4%, P < 0.05). Signific antly fewer condensed cells were found on the left side than on the ri ght (respectively 19.7 +/- 11.2 versus 31.5 +/- 13.5%, P < 0.004), The diploid cell percentage was significantly higher in the left testis t han in the right (37.0 +/- 18.5 versus 25.5 +/- 9.6, P < 0.003), No st atistically significant differences were found in respect of percentag es of either non-condensed and tetraploid cells (respectively 26.6 +/- 14.8 and 11.3 +/- 5.6 on the left and 25.9 +/- 10.3 and 12.4 +/- 6.2 on the right). Flow cytometric analysis of cadaver biopsy tissue showe d no statistically significant difference between left and right testi cles in respect of the percentages of haploid, diploid and tetraploid cells. The reduced percentage of haploid cells and the increase in dip loid cells observed in the left testis of our subjects indicate that t he testicular function is impaired to a greater extent in the testis i psilateral to varicocele than in the contralateral testicle.