Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
J Histochem Cytochem. 2020 Mar;68(3):185-198. doi: 10.1369/0022155420902547. Epub 2020 Jan 27.
Idiopathic varicocele is closely associated with male infertility or subfertility. Sertoli cell is a very important regulator of spermatogenesis. We investigated the morphofunctional alterations in the Sertoli cell and its possible involvement in the establishment of testicular primary lesion in experimental left-sided varicocele, induced from peripuberty. Twenty-five male peripubertal rats (44 days postpartum [dpp]) were distributed into two groups: control (C) and varicocele (V). Experimental left varicocele was induced in rats through the partial ligature of the left renal vein. Euthanasia was performed at 100 dpp. Testicular histopathology and testosterone plasmatic level were evaluated. Transferrin and vimentin proteins were, respectively, used as immunomarkers of Sertoli cell function and structure. Significant reductions in vimentin and transferrin expressions were noticed in androgen-dependent stages (VII and VIII) of the seminiferous epithelium cycle in V rats; testosterone plasmatic level was also reduced. Bilateral testicular histopathological alterations were found in V rats, mainly massive germ cell desquamation. The histological damage and changes in protein expressions occurred bilaterally. The relevant impairment of the functional and structural characteristics of the Sertoli cell, together with the typical massive germ cell desquamation, indicates that Sertoli cell changes can primarily contribute to the significant testicular dysfunction associated with varicocele.
特发性精索静脉曲张与男性不育或生育力低下密切相关。支持细胞是生精作用的一个非常重要的调节者。我们研究了实验性精索静脉曲张大鼠睾丸生精上皮固有层曲细精管支持细胞的形态和功能改变，该模型是从生后 44 天（PP）的雄性幼鼠诱导建立的左侧精索静脉曲张。25 只雄性幼鼠（PP44）被随机分为两组：对照组（C）和精索静脉曲张组（V）。通过结扎左侧肾静脉的部分静脉丛诱导实验性左侧精索静脉曲张。生后 100 天（PP100）处死大鼠。评估睾丸组织病理学和睾酮血浆水平。转铁蛋白和波形蛋白分别作为支持细胞功能和结构的免疫标志物。V 组大鼠生精上皮周期中雄激素依赖阶段（VII 和 VIII）的波形蛋白和转铁蛋白表达明显减少；睾酮血浆水平也降低。V 组大鼠双侧睾丸组织学改变，主要为大量精子细胞脱落。组织学损伤和蛋白表达的变化均为双侧性的。支持细胞功能和结构特征的明显损伤，以及典型的大量精子细胞脱落，表明支持细胞的改变可能首先导致与精索静脉曲张相关的显著睾丸功能障碍。
