Effects of surgical repair of experimental left varicocele on testicular temperature, spermatogenesis, sperm maturation, endocrine function, and fertility in rabbits.

To evaluate the effectiveness of surgical correction of varicocele in restoring the function of the varicocelized testicle, experimental varicoceles were created in 16 male rabbits by partly ligating the left lumbotesticular trunk. Five control rabbits received a sham operation (group A). Two months later, eight of the varicocelized rabbits underwent surgical repair by ligation and cutting of the dilated left testicular vein (group B). The remaining eight varicocelized animals did not receive any additional treatment (group C). Five months after the initial operation, group C animals had a significantly lower sperm concentration, sperm motility, bilateral testicular androgen-binding protein activity, bilateral testicular vein testosterone concentration, bilateral testicular versus intraabdominal temperature difference, and fertility when compared with groups A and B. These findings suggested that the surgical repair of an experimental varicocele in the rabbit can significantly improve the parameters indicating the harmful effects of the varicocele on the testicles.