ABSTRACT

Objective:

We investigated structural and morphological changes in prepubertal and pubertal rat testis and ductus deferens after unilateral vasectomy. Vasectomy is reliable and popular male contraception method, applied widely in the world.

Methods:

Six pre-pubertal and 6 pubertal male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. Unilateral ductus deferens ligation was performed on right ductus deferens of each rat. Right testis and ductus deferens tissues were evaluated as ligation group while left tissues were control groups. Two months after operation, the vas deferens and testes removed to obtain paraffin block sections and morphometric studies carried out with light microscopy. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) immunohistochemically staining were applied.

Results:

Structural and morphological changes and decrease in spermatogenesis process have been observed at testis and ductus deferens tissues of all vasectomized rat. The seminiferous epithelium and the seminiferous tubule diameter were thickened. Degenerative changes have been observed at the epithelial structure of Ductus deferens and among muscle fibers forming the muscle of the Ductus deferens. Moreover, in prepubertal and pubertal vasectomized rat VEGF immunoreactivity was not observed in seminiferous tubule.

Conclusion:

The unilateral ligation operation can cause damage at ductus deferens and testis tissue in the pre-pubertal and pubertal period.