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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Determination of Reproductive Competence by Confirming Pubertal Onset and Performing a Fertility Assay in Mice and Rats
Published on: October 13, 2018
Consequences of epididymal ligation on prepubertal rats
Hüseyin Aktug1, Kaan Ozdedeli, Baris Altay
1Department of Histology and Embryology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. haktug35@yahoo.com.tr
Objective:
To study prospectively experimental effects of unilateral epididymal obstruction on testis and epididymis histopathologically in prepubertal rats.
Study Design:
Organ weights, mean seminiferous tubule diameter (MSTD), mean ductus epididymis diameter (MDED), mean tubular biopsy scores (MTBS) and histopathology of 21 male albino Wistar rats were compared with the immunostaining affinity of anti-desmin, anti-vimentin, anti-laminin and anti-collagen antibodies.
Results:
Statistical analysis of mean weight of testes, MTBS, mean epididymal weight, MDED and MSTD was significant. Evaluation of testis and epididymis revealed cellular damage, basal membrane impairment and granulomatous infiltration.
Conclusion:
Histopathologic alterations with MSTD are early indicators for ipsilateral and contralateral injury. Even the presence of criteria such as intactness and cellular integrity does not guarantee there is no sperm leakage or immunologic damage. Therefore the impairment of basal integrity is a switch code in determining spermatogenic failure.
