Effects of compression/stretching of the spermatic cord and blunt dissection on testicular growth and fertility

Choi, Seung-Eun; Kook, Myeong-Cherl; Kim, Chong Jai; Lee, Seong-Cheol; Park, Kwi-Won; Jung, Sung-Eun; Kim, Woo-Ki

doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2009.03.025

« Previous Next »Journal of Pediatric Surgery
Volume 44, Issue 11 , Pages 2163-2167, November 2009

Effects of compression/stretching of the spermatic cord and blunt dissection on testicular growth and fertility

Seung-Eun Choi
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, South Korea
- Both authors contributed equally to this work.
Myeong-Cherl Kook
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, South Korea
- Both authors contributed equally to this work.
Chong Jai Kim
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, South Korea
Seong-Cheol Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, South Korea
Kwi-Won Park
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, South Korea
Sung-Eun Jung
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, South Korea
Woo-Ki Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, South Korea
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +82 0220722338; fax: +82 027663975.

Received 24 December 2008; received in revised form 16 March 2009; accepted 16 March 2009.

Abstract

Purpose

This study was performed to investigate whether compression/stretching of the spermatic cord or blunt dissection influences testicular development and fertility. In addition, the authors evaluated whether the extents of testicular damage differ between these 2 surgical manipulations.

Methods

Forty-four prepubertal male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (Harlan Sprague-Dawley Inc, Indianapolis, Ind) were divided into 3 groups: (1) the control group (CG) animals underwent a sham operation in the right groin, (2) the experimental group 1 (EG1) underwent compression/stretching of the right spermatic cord, and (3) the experimental group 2 (EG2) underwent dissection around the right spermatic cord structures. Testicular volumes, weights, mean seminiferous tubular diameters (MSTDs), mean testicular biopsy scores, and numbers of offspring and of pregnant females were evaluated.

Results

Right (operative) and left (nonoperative) testicular volumes were smaller in the EG2 group than in the CG or EG1 groups. Left MSTDs in the EG1 and EG2 groups increased more than in the CG group. Numbers of Sertoli cells in left testes differed in the 3 groups, in the order EG1 < CG < EG2. Mean testicular biopsy scores, offspring numbers, and pregnant female numbers were no different in the 3 groups.