[Effect of intra-testicular testosterone withdrawal on the expression of alpha-catenin in the adult rat testis].

Objective: To study the expression of alpha-catenin in the rat testis after intra-testicular testosterone withdrawal induced by injection of testosterone undecanoate (TU).

Methods: Ten adult male SD rats received vehicle (n = 5 ) or TU (19 mg/kg every 15 days, n = 5) for 130 days. Paraffin-embedded testicular sections were used for immunohistochemistry against a polyclonal anti-alpha-catenin antibody.

Histological changes of the testis and epididymis in adult rats as a result of Leydig cell destruction after ethane dimethane sulfonate treatment: a morphometric study.

Aim: To quantitatively study the histological changes of the testis and epididymis as a result of a drastic reduction of testosterone secretion.

Methods: Fourteen adult Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intraperitoneally with ethane dimethane sulfonate (EDS, 75 mg/kg) and the same number of animals were injected with normal saline as a control. At days 7 and 12 (after treatment), respectively, half of the animals from each group were killed.