The structure of the testis and epididymal epithelium of the rat
were studied at 5 months after bilateral vasectomy. The rat was chosen
because this animal model can develop antisperm antibodies and display
testicular as well as epididymal changes after vasectomy.
Vasectomy operation was done via the process of division and
ligation of the vas deferens. It is the most popular method of permanent
male sterilization with a success rate of nearly 100%. Because of the
increasing use of vasectomy in human (in some counteries), it is
important to determine the effects of this surgical operation on the parts
of the male reproductive system other than the vas deferens.
The histological changes affecting the testis after vasectomy were
depletion of most of the germinal epithelium, formation of large vesicles
with heterogenous material in sertoli cells. While the epididymal
epithelium showed vacuolations, the clear cells became enlarged and
bulged into the lumen. The cytoplasm of the macrophages contain
engulfed spermatic parts. The intersitital reactions were more prominent. |
