Niloofar Sadeghi - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
Marziyeh Tavalaee - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan. Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Center, Isfahan, Iran
Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan

Background: Varicocele is an abnormal enlargement of the pampiniform plexus in the spermatic cord. Adverse effect of varicocele on spermatogenesis can cause alterations in sperm concentration, motility, and morphology. And also some of the most common disorders include shrinking testicles, progressive impairment of testis, atrophy of the bilateral testis caused by varicocele. The varicocele affects not only the physiology of testis but also the histopathology of it. Therefore, studies on the association of a varicocele with male infertility are still required to improve our understanding of etiology of varicocele and male infertility. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate adverse effects of varicocele on testicular histopathology alterations.Methods: A total of 30 Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: surgically induced left varicocele, sham-operated, and untreated controls. Two months after surgery, animals were euthanized with ether. Then left testes were collected, processed, and stained with H&E. Johnsen scores and histological abnormalities were evaluated for each testis.Result: There were significant different between the Johnsen scores in the control and varicocele induced testes. Histopathological studies in rats shown that the varicocele induction inhibits spermatogenesis and degenerate the GE (germinal epithelium) of seminiferous tubules. The changes in tissue of testes was observed in the form of irregular degenerated seminiferous tubules with numerous blood vessels and thickened basement membranes.Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that following varicocele induction, major alterations occur in testis which may lead to loss of GE cells physiological function and ultimately result in impairment of sperm production and fertility problems.

Rat, Testis, Varicocele, Histopathology