Experimental unilateral cryptorchidism was produced in prepubertal rats. Both in the operated undescended testis and in the contralateral descended one, the changes were similar to that founded in the human. These changes show a disturbed testicular development with gonadal degenerative process. The chronic use of the immunosuppressant drug cyclophosphamide, with low dosages, avoided the damage in the topic testis, in spite of its very known harmful action to the spermatogenesis. As the observed lesions affects also the scrotal testis and as this can be prevented by the cyclophosphamide, the possibility of autoimmunization causing this damage in the experimental cryptorchidism in the rat is discussed.
Testis; Cryptorchidism; Cyclophosphamide
