Experimental unilateral undescended testis: gubernaculectomy and anchoringor direct suture fixation?

This study was designed to evaluate whether creation of a unilateral undesc ended testis (U/L UDT) in rats by direct fixation of the testis can lead to changes in the contralateral (C/L) descended testis, and if so, whether th is inherent problem of the model could be eliminated by anchoring the divid ed gubernaculum to indirectly fix the testis. Thirty male newborn rats were divided into three groups of 10 each and the procedure done on the 2nd day of life to create U/L UDT according to the group allocated: group I: sham- operated; group II: anchoring the gubernaculum after gubernaculectomy; grou p III: Direct suture fixation of the testis. Fertility, C/L testicular weig ht (TW), Johnsen score, seminiferous tubular diameter (STD), DNA flowcytome try, and serum anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) were studied. Fertility, C/L TW, Johnsen score, STD, and haploid cell population were significantly reduced in group III compared to group II, while significantly higher titers of AS A were found in group III. Gubernaculectomy and anchoring the gubernaculum to the anterior abdominal wall is a better technique of creation of experim ental UDT, as direct fixation of the testis is potentially detrimental to t he C/L normal, descended testis.