The Effect of Single and Triple Testicular Biopsy Using Biopty Gun on Spermatogenesis in Pubertal Rats
by
, , and
Tomislav Šušnjar
1, 
Ivana Kuzmić Prusac
2,
Ivan Švagelj
3,
Anđela Jurišić
4,
Tomislav Šušnjar
5,
Antonija Jurišić
6,
Miro Jukić
1,7
and
Zenon Pogorelić
1,7,*
1
Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
2
Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Cytology, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
3
Department of Pathology and Cytology, General County Hospital Vinkovci, 32100 Vinkovci, Croatia
4
Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Dubrava, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
5
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Dubrava, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
6
Dental Clinic Jurišić, 88240 Posušje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
7
Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1569; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061569
Submission received: 22 April 2021
/
Revised: 18 May 2021
/
Accepted: 25 May 2021
/
Published: 27 May 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Animal Spermatogenesis)
Simple Summary
Nowadays, a punch biopsy is a simple, reliable and inexpensive method for different types of tissue sampling. Equally, it is the method of choice for obtaining testicular tissue samples for pathohistological analysis and sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The results of this study clearly showed that a single biopsy has little effect on the biopsied testis, especially on total fertility. Triple biopsy showed by the same parameters that histological and immunohistochemical consequences were more significant compared to single but without a significant effect on overall fertility. Sperm analysis showed that single and triple biopsies did not have a significant effect on sperm count, motility and morphology. In addition, both single and triple punch biopsies of one testicle did not significantly affect the overall fertility potential of pubertal rats.
Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to compare consequences in single and triple testicular biopsy by biopty gun in pubertal rats using histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Methods: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley male rats were used as the experimental model. The rats were randomly divided into three study groups. The rats from the first group (n = 12) received a single-biopsy of upper pole of the left testis, while the rats from the second group (n = 10) received triple-biopsy of upper and lower poles and lateral surface of left testis. The third group (n = 10) was a control group. On the eightieth day after the biopsy in all rats bilateral orchiectomy and funiculectomy were performed to obtain testicular tissue and sperm for analysis. The consequences of the puncture were observed by pathohistology, immunohistochemistry and semen analysis. Results: The results of the study showed lower percentage of sperm count (14.5 mill/mL vs. 16 mill/mL, p = 0.130), sperm motility (24.6% vs. 32.7%, p > 0.05), abnormal sperm (30% vs. 27%, p > 0.05), atrophic tubules (21% vs. 6%, p < 0.001), volume (1.7 mL vs. 2.28 mL, p < 0.01) and apoptotic index (1.56 vs. 1.19, p = 0.650) in the testes with a triple-biopsy compared to the testes with a single-biopsy. Semen analysis showed a borderline significant difference between the group with triple-biopsy where sperm count was lower than it in the control group (14.5 mill/mL vs. 17.5 mill/mL, p = 0.05). A single-biopsy has little effect on the testis, especially on overall fertility. A triple-biopsy showed higher degree of the testicular damage but without a significant impact on overall fertility. Semen analysis showed that single- and triple-biopsies did not have a significant effect on sperm count, motility and morphology. Conclusion: Biopty gun procedure is a cheap, simple and reliable method for testicular biopsy in rats without a significant effect on sperm count, motility and morphology.
Keywords:
testis; biopty gun; testicular biopsy; rat; semen analysis; needle biopsy
