[Influence of experimental varicocele on the junctions of seminiferous epithelium]

Experimental varicoceles were created in adult male Wistar rats by partially occluding the left renal vein. The affect of the varicocele on ipsilateral testis was studied at intervals over 15 weeks via ultrathin sections and freeze-etching replica technique examined under electron microscope. Observations showed that varicocele resulted in injuries of Sertoli-Sertoli cell and Sertoli cell-spermatid junctional complexes. Abnormal changes of Sertoli cell-spermatid junctional complexes might lead to spermiogenic arrest and spermatids slough, while those of Sertoli-Sertoli cell junctional complexes to dysfunction of barrier and abnormal alteration of microenvironment of seminiferous tubule. Probably, this is one of the reasons that the fertility was not improved in some patients even after high level ligation of the internal spermatic vein.