Department of Reproductive Physiology, Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon.
Am J Primatol. 1981;1(2):167-173. doi: 10.1002/ajp.1350010207.
Studies based on experimental vasectomies clearly reveal marked species differences in response to vasectomy. In rats, vasectomy invariably results in granuloma formation at the surgical site. In rabbits, immune-complex orchitis develops. Allergic orchitis may also develop in guinea pigs, and the morphological lesions can be adoptively transferred. My co-workers and I have been able to study systematically, biochemically, hormonally, pathologically, and immunologically, primates vasectomized up to 14 years earlier and to compare them with age-matched controls. We have monitored antibody levels in vasectomized rhesus and cynomolgus macaques by sperm-agglutination, sperm-immobilization, and indirect immunofluorescence techniques. Antibodies develop in almost every monkey, in some as early as 10 days after vasectomy. About 50% retain such circulating antisperm antibodies. In men, antibody development is less rapid, and about half of vasectomized men reveal detectable levels. Testicular histopathological studies have revealed detectable levels. Testicular histopathological studies have revealed orchitis, aspermatogenesis, or both, resembling allergic orchitis in most of the vasectomized monkeys and in about one-fourth of the controls. Limited studies of human material reveal some testicular changes. Epididymitis and epididymal granuloma occur exclusively in the vasectomized animals. Use of immunofluorescence has revealed significantly more granular deposits of IgA, IgG, and/or C3 in the basal lamina of the ductus efferens and the caput epididymidis of the vasectomized monkeys. Similar studies on human material have not been done. Both cynomolgus and rhesus macaques have proved to be excellent models for research in atherosclerosis and so have been used to determine whether constant sperm antigen leakage causes immune-complex formation that might result in arteritis and atherosclerosis. Evaluation of the cardiovascular systems from such animals has revealed that vasectomized monkeys have more frequent, more extensive, and more severe arteriosclerosis than age-matched controls. Epidemiological studies are currently under way to determine whether such an effect also occurs in men after vasectomy.
基于实验性输精管切除术的研究清楚地揭示了对输精管切除术的反应存在明显的物种差异。在大鼠中，输精管切除术总是导致手术部位的肉芽肿形成。在兔子中，会发生免疫复合物睾丸炎。豚鼠也可能发生过敏性睾丸炎，并且可以通过过继转移来产生形态学病变。我和我的同事们能够对 14 年前进行输精管切除术的灵长类动物进行系统地、生化地、激素地、病理学地和免疫学地研究，并将其与年龄匹配的对照组进行比较。我们通过精子凝集、精子固定和间接免疫荧光技术监测了输精管切除的恒河猴和食蟹猴的抗体水平。几乎每只猴子都会产生抗体，有些猴子在输精管切除后 10 天就会产生抗体。大约 50%的猴子保留这种循环抗精子抗体。在男性中，抗体的产生速度较慢，大约一半的输精管切除术男性可检测到抗体水平。睾丸组织病理学研究表明，睾丸炎、精子发生障碍或两者都有，在大多数输精管切除的猴子和大约四分之一的对照组中，都类似于过敏性睾丸炎。对人类材料的有限研究揭示了一些睾丸变化。附睾睾丸炎和附睾肉芽肿仅发生在输精管切除的动物中。免疫荧光的使用揭示了输精管切除猴子的输精液管和附睾头部的基底膜中 IgA、IgG 和/或 C3 的颗粒状沉积物明显增加。尚未对人类材料进行类似的研究。食蟹猴和恒河猴均已被证明是动脉粥样硬化研究的优秀模型，因此被用于确定持续的精子抗原泄漏是否会导致免疫复合物形成，从而导致脉管炎和动脉粥样硬化。对这些动物的心血管系统进行评估表明，输精管切除的猴子比年龄匹配的对照组有更多、更广泛和更严重的动脉硬化。目前正在进行流行病学研究，以确定这种影响是否也会在输精管切除后发生在男性身上。
