The morphological evaluation of ipsilateral and contralateral vasa deferentia in a rat model of unilateral spermatic cord torsion.

AIM

Spermatic cord torsion is a surgical emergency that requires early intervention to protect the effected testicle. The literature review about this ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury reveals not only ipsilateral, but also contralateral testicular and epididymal injuries in a broad fashion. However, there is no data about vas deferens injury related with this surgical emergency. The aim of the study is to evaluate the morphological changes of the vas deferens due to testicular I/R injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eighteen Wistar-Albino rats were allocated to three groups. Bilateral vasa deferentia of control group (Gr C, n = 6) were harvested without any surgical intervention. The torsion group was subjected to 2 h torsion and 2 h detorsion of the left testicle (Gr T, n = 6) and the third group underwent sham operations (Gr S, n = 6). Bilateral vasa deferentia of Gr T and S were harvested after surgery. The either side of the vas deferens was divided into three equal segments and these regions (adjacent to urinary bladder, medial and adjacent to testicle) were evaluated histopathologically.

RESULTS

The electron microscopic evaluation of bilateral vasa deferentia of Gr T revealed different degrees of degeneration on either side. The region adjacent to testicle of the contralateral vas deferens was the most effected segment when compared with the other segments.

CONCLUSION

In the light of these findings, it can be said that testicular I/R injury effects not only testis and epididymis, but also the adjacent vas deferens. This effect seems to be bilateral, like the testis and epididymis injury. Moreover, it mostly seems to depend on the apoptotic processes.