Effects of varicocele in the expression of androgen receptor and transcriptional factor Rhox5 in rats testis and epididymis

Abstract

Varicocele causes dilation of the pampiniform plexus, the spermatic vein, and the collaterals leading to the iliac, and it is the most common etiology associated with male infertility. Previous studies from our laboratory showed that experimental varicocele, induced by partial ligation of the left renal vein in 40-day old rats for four weeks, down-regulates androgen receptor (AR) expression and several other proteins in the testis, which are involved in maturation and sperm capacitation. This regulation of AR may play an important role in testicular dysfunction. Rhox5, the homeobox transcription factor, is induced by androgen in Sertoli cells and epididymis. It is crucial for normal spermatogenesis and sperm maturation and thereby promotes fertility. Furthermore, several studies have shown that changes in testis testosterone level and histology of the testis are dependent of age of the animal in which the varicocele was induced. Thus, the aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of surgically induced varicocele by partial ligation of the left renal vein in 30- and 50-day old rats for four weeks on androgen receptor (AR) and Rhox5 expression in the testis and in the initial segment/caput of the epididymis.(AU)