VARICOCELE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON GLUCOSE INTAKE AND LACTATE PRODUCTION IN SERTOLI CELLS; AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Background and Aim : Varicocele (VCL) is the most common multi pathophysiology disorder in the infertile men population. The VCL is characterized mainly by regraded blood flow into spermatic and cremasteric veins in the left portion of testicles. Based on previously conducted studies, it has been shown that VCL negatively impacts spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) survival, self-renewal, and differentiation processes. Although it has been revealed that the Sertoli cells play an important role in SSCs maintenance and division and the negative impacts of VCL on Sertoli cell niches has been illustrated, the Sertoli cells metabolism effects on SSCs in VCL condition has not been investigated. Thus in the current study, we tried to illustrate the VCL effects on Sertoli cells metabolism by evaluating Glut-3 and MCT-4 protein levels.Methods : In the current study, sixteen male mature Wistar rats were subdivided into control and VCL-induced groups (NO=8 rats in each group). Following 4 months after VCL-induction left testicular tissues were dissected out and fixed with formalin (10%) fixative solution. In continue, Sertoli cells number per mm2 were assessed using H&E stained sections. Then, the IHC staining for Glut-3 and MCT-4 proteins were performed and positive cells distribution per mm2 were analyzed. Moreover, the pixel-based frequency analyses were performed by image pro-insight software to assay IHC-positive reactions intensity.Results : Our results revealed that the VCL diminished Sertoli cells number remarkably compared to the control group. Moreover, the VCL-induced animals showed significantly lower protein levels of Glut-3 and MCT-4 versus the control group, both in positive cells distribution per mm2 and pixel-based frequency analyses.Conclusion : The VCL diminished significantly Sertoli cells numbers, Glu-3 and MCT-4 protein level, which it can be concluded that in the VCL-condition reduced glucose transporters results in low lactate production from Sertoli cells and diminished monocarboxylate transporters. Thus, reduced lactate production results in imbalance spermatogenesis and might be an important reason for SSCs apoptosis in VCL-condition.

کلیدواژه ها:

Varicocele ، Glut-3 ، MCT-4