Does chemical sympathectomy alter the ontogeny of gubernacular migration in vivo?

Abstract

Background: Testicular descent occurs in several stages, but the exact mechanism remains obscure. Sympathetic nerves have been proposed to have a role by a possible action on developing cremaster muscle, following observations of sympathetic dysfunction in cremaster from boys with cryptorchidism. This study aimed to see if chemical sympathectomy affected testicular descent in rats. Methods: Sprague-Dawley dams were injected with 6-hydroxydopamine (days 15-19; 75 μg/kg) or control vehicle alone, and male pups examined at 0 to 10, 20, 30, and 60 days of age. The length of the processus vaginalis was measured and sections taken for histology. Results: No difference in processus vaginalis growth..