Experimental study on the chronic alcohol-induced testicular microvascular injury and spermatogenic cell morphological changes by contrast-enhanced ultrasound / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and its quantitative analysis technology in the evaluation of testicular microvascular injury caused by chronic alcoholism, as well as its relationship with the morphological changes of testicular spermatogenic cells.Methods:Seventy-two New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into control group (S group), low-dose alcohol group (L group), medium-dose alcohol group (M group), and high-dose alcohol group (H group). Then, the rabbits were subdivided into the groups of S1, S2, S3, L1, L2, L3, M1, M2, M3, H1, H2, H3 according to different time points (30 d, 60 d, 90 d). The rabbits in each group were examined by routine ultrasound before the experiment, followed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination. Testicular tissues were taken for pathological examination under light and electron microscope.Results:①The peak intensity and area under the curve of ultrasound contrast parameters gradually decreased with the increase of dosage and duration of alcohol feeding (all P<0.05), and the curvature also gradually decreased (all P<0.05). The differences of peak time, mean transit time, and peak half-time were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). ②With the increase of alcohol dosage and duration under the light microscope, the seminiferous tubule epithelium gradually became thinner, and the sperm in the cavity gradually decreased or no sperm was produced. The Johnsen′s score of testicular tissue decreased with the increase of alcohol dosage and duration (all P<0.05). The cytoplasmic mitochondria of the microvascular endothelial cells were vacuolated under the electron microscope. With the dosage and duration of alcohol feeding, the endothelial cells were vacuolated and even shed, and the basement membrane was interrupted. Conclusions:Alcohol could damage the testicular microvessels and spermatogenic cells in a dose-effect and time-effect relationship. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be used to evaluate the microvessel damage of testis caused by chronic alcoholism and indirectly reflect the morphological changes of spermatogenic cells.