DECREASED BLOOD-FLOW AND DEFECTIVE ENERGY-METABOLISM IN THE VARICOCELE-BEARING TESTICLES OF RATS

This study was desinged to elucidate the hemodynamic and energetic cha nges of testicles in experimental varicocele. Partial ligation of the left renal vein was performed in 10 Sprague-Dawley rats to induce dila tation of the internal spermatic vein, and sham operation was performe d in the other 10 age-matched Sprague-Dawley rats used as controls. Bl ood pressure and rectal temperature were maintained at a constant leve l. Testicular blood flow was detected by laser Doppler flowmeter on th e day before surgery and 4 weeks after surgery, respectively. Concentr ations of various adenine nucleotides were determined by high-performa nce liquid chromatography (HPLC). We found a significant decrease from 10.2 +/- 1.5 to 7.4 +/- 1.8 MILD/min/ 100 g (p < 0.005) in testicular blood flow after inducing varicocele in the rats. The energy charge o f adenine nucleotides of the varicocele-bearing rats was 0.62 +/- 0.07 which was significantly lower than the 0.73 +/- 0.02 of the control g roup (p < 0.005). These observations have, thus, led us to propose the hypothesis that impaired spermatogenesis may result from defective en ergy metabolism in the varicocelebearing testicles of rats.