Peng B C, Tomashefsky P, Nagler H M
Department of Urology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Fertil Steril. 1990 Jul;54(1):143-8.
The varicocele may be a cofactor that, when potentiated by other cofactors (i.e., gonadotoxins), causes male infertility. This hypothesis could explain the unpredictable effects of the varicocele on fertility. Male rats with experimental varicoceles, sham surgery, or no surgery were treated for 30 days with the known gonadotoxins cyclophosphamide or nicotine. Spermatogenesis was assessed by flow cytometry. Cyclophosphamide alone caused gonadotoxicity, and its effect was accentuated by sham or varicocele surgery. Nicotine and the presence of a varicocele were more gonadotoxic than either the varicocele or nicotine by itself. This data would lend support to the cofactor hypothesis of the pathophysiology of the varicocele.
精索静脉曲张可能是一种辅助因素，当与其他辅助因素（如性腺毒素）共同作用时，可导致男性不育。这一假说可以解释精索静脉曲张对生育能力产生的不可预测的影响。对患有实验性精索静脉曲张、接受假手术或未接受手术的雄性大鼠，用已知的性腺毒素环磷酰胺或尼古丁治疗30天。通过流式细胞术评估精子发生。单独使用环磷酰胺会导致性腺毒性，假手术或精索静脉曲张手术会加重其影响。尼古丁和精索静脉曲张同时存在时比单独的精索静脉曲张或尼古丁更具性腺毒性。这些数据将支持精索静脉曲张病理生理学的辅助因素假说。
