Histopathological examination of both ipsilateral and contralateral testeswith different obstructive models in prepubertal and adult rats

Objective To determine the histopathological changes in both the ipsilatera l and contralateral testes of prepubertal and adult male rats GO days after creating different obstructive models. Material and methods Thirty-six prepubertal and 32 adult albino male rats w ere examined in three different obstructive models of the right testis, In group 1 the spermatic cord was ligated, in group 2 the ligation was between the caput epididymis and testis, and in group 3 the vas deferens was ligat ed, Sixty days after ligation both testes were removed and evaluated for te stis diameter, mean seminiferous tubule diameter (MSTD), and degenerative, obstructive and inflammatory changes. Results The diameter of the obstructed right testis and MSTD were significa ntly greater in prepubertal rats but there was no apparent difference in ad ult rats. For obstructive changes, sloughing of germ cells in the prepubert al rats and germ cell absence in adult rats were significantly more common in group 3. The contralateral testis diameter and MSTD of group 3 was signi ficantly greater only in prepubertal rats, Statistically significant values of obstructive change, e.g. sloughing of germ cells and apical vacuolation in Sertoli cells, were apparent in prepubertal rats, but tubular ectasis w as the only statistically significant criterion of obstruction in adult rat s. Conclusion The testes are more susceptible to obstruction of the vas defere ns in prepubertal than in adults rats, resulting in increased hydrostatic p ressure and oedema of both the ipsilateral and contralateral testes, which might be caused by collateral circulation and rat testicular microcirculati on, with a rhythmic pattern of arteriolar dilatation and constriction (vaso motion). Although the presence of oedema and high hydrostatic pressure was not prominent in adults, formation of spermatic granulomas and absence or s loughing of germ cells in the obstructed and contralateral testes reflect t he early effects of vas ligation on spermatogenesis in adulthood.