The time-response and magnitude of hCG-induced vascular changes are different in scrotal and abdominal testes.

Adult unilaterally cryptorchid rats were injected with 50 IU human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). At 4, 8, 24 and 72 h after treatment, testicular vascular permeability was studied by injecting colloidal carbon intravenously. The number of blood vessel profiles labelled with carbon was increased by hCG in both types of testes, but the response was more sustained in abdominal than in scrotal testes. The number of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) accumulating in testicular blood vessels and migrating into the interstitial space in response to hCG treatment was also measured. The volume density of intravascular and interstitial PMNs was increased in both types of testes but the peak response was larger in scrotal than in abdominal testes. PMN accumulation and vascular leakage were apparently correlated in the scrotal but not in the abdominal testes. Testicular interstitial fluid (IF) was collected from intact and unilaterally cryptorchid adult rats. The IF was diluted with sterile buffer and injected intracutaneously in test animals. The vascular permeability response was assessed by measuring the leakage of Evans blue into the injection sites. IF from scrotal and abdominal testes increased vascular permeability in the skin. The response was rapid and transient. IF collected from rats given hCG 24 h earlier did not increase vascular permeability. The vascular permeability response to IF was reduced slightly in neutrophil-depleted animals. The inflammation mediator present in IF cannot explain the kinetics and magnitude of the hCG-induced changes in vascular permeability in intact or unilaterally cryptorchid rats.