Effects of liver-regulating herb compounds on testicular morphological and ultrastructural changes in varicocele rats through SCF/C-KIT pathway.

Liver-regulating herb compound (LRHC) has good effects on improving sperm quality and male fertility of varicocele (VC) patients. But the mechanism of LRHC on VC is still not clear. This study explored the effects of LRHC on histomorphological and ultrastructural changes and expression of stem cell factor (SCF) and C-KIT of VC rat testis. Twenty-four male rats were divided into three groups with eight rats in each group as sham, varicocele and LRHC groups. Testis specimens were collected for light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy respectively. The expression of SCF/C-KIT was detected with Western blot. Results showed that seminiferous tubules in VC rats were damaged and cell numbers were decreased. Ultrastructural alterations were observed, such as increased thickness of lamina propria, vacuolation in Sertoli cells, spermatocytes and spermatids, and abnormal head and mitochondria in spermatozoa. While in LRHC-treated rats, the architectures of seminiferous tubules were as organised and compact as that of sham animals, and ultrastructure of Sertoli, Leydig and germ cells developed well. LRHC ameliorated histological appearance and ultrastructure by VC. In addition, the abnormal expression of SCF and C-KIT were observed in testicular tissues from rats with VC, which were brought back to normal level by LRHC.