Authors: Igor Sukhotnik Katya Voskoboinik Michael Lurie Arnold G Coran Robert Greenblatt Eitan Shiloni Samuel Eldar Jorge G Mogilner
Publish Date: 2007/01/09
Volume: 23, Issue: 5, Pages: 479-485
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that neutrophil recruitment may initiate germ cell apoptosis in the ischemic testis The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between germ cell apoptosis and neutrophil recruitment in the contralateral testis following testicular ischemiareperfusion IR injury in a rat Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided randomly into two experimental groups Group A Sham operated animals Group B IR rats underwent 90 min of unilateral testicular ischemia following by 96 h of reperfusion The rats were sacrificed and testes were harvested Johnsen’s criteria and the number of germinal cell layers were measured to categorize the spermatogenesis TUNEL assay was used to determine germ cell apoptosis in both the ischemic and contralateral testis The recruitment of neutrophils was calculated per 100 venules Expression of Eselectin was determined using immunohistochemical analysis Statistical analysis was performed using Students t test with P less than 005 considered statistically significant Germ cell apoptosis in both the ischemic and the contralateral testis increased significantly after IR Eselectin expression was significantly greater in ischemic testis from IR rats compared to sham animals The small increase in Eselectin expression and the concomitant increase in neutrophil recruitment in the contralateral testis of the IR rats vs sham animals were not statistically significant In conclusion testicular ischemia causes an increase in germ cell apoptosis in the contralateral testis Mechanisms other than neutrophil recruitment apparently initiate this process
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