Effects of Unilateral Iatrogenic Vas Deferens Trauma on Fertility: An Experimental In Vitro Fertilization Mice Model Study

To determine bilateral effects of unilateral iatrogenic vas deferens trauma (UIT) on epididymal sperm characteristics and in vitro fertilizing capacity in an experimental mouse model. Experiments were performed on three equal groups each comprising six adult male mice. Following anaesthesia, UIT was induced by clamping left vas deferens with a mosquito clamp in fully locked fashion for 2 minutes in UIT group. Control-sham mice only had exposure of the left vas deferens through a groin incision. Control animals only received ceftriaxone (100 mg/kg) intraperitoneally at the day of experimental UIT induction. Ipsilateral and contralateral epididymal sperm characteristics and in vitro fertilizing capacity were evaluated after 35 days. UIT significantly decreased sperm concentration, motility and viability as well as fertilization, two-cell embryos, blastocysts and hatched blastocysts rates. Moreover, incidence of DNA damage and abnormality in spermatozoa was significantly higher in UIT group. The findings suggest that a non-recognized iatrogenic vas deferens trauma may have detrimental effects on spermatozoa leading to infertility.