effects of unilateral iatrogenic vas deferens trauma on fertility: an experimental in vitro fertilization mice model study

objective: 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. methods: 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. results: 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. conclusion: the findings suggest that a non-recognized iatrogenic vas deferens trauma may have detrimental effects on spermatozoa leading to infertility.