Effects of vasectomy on the blood-testis barrier of the hamster

Abstract

The effects of vasectomy on the blood-testis and blood-epididymal barriers to 3H2O, [3H]inulin, and [14C]urea were examined by study of the radioactivity appearing in micropuncture samples of fluids from the seminiferous tubules and cauda epididymidis. By 4 months after vasectomy, there were changes in the blood-seminiferous tubule barrier to [3H]water and [14C]urea (increased entry) and in the blood-epididymal barrier to [3H]water and [3H]inulin (increased entry) and to [14C]urea (decreased entry). These subtle changes could have an impact on spermatogenesis and/or sperm maturation after vasectomy.