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Cryptorchidism, the absence of one or both testicles in the scrotum, is the most common anomaly of genitourinary tract in males. The pathogenesis of undescended testes is unknown however the role of inflammation, tissue remodeling and oxidative stress is postulated. The aim of this study was to explore the role of HSP-70, MMP-3, MMP-17 and IL-8 in possible pathogenic pathways connected with cryptorchidism. Cryptorchid patients with high scrotal and inguinal canal localization were included. The study group consisted of 63 patients aged 12-24 months, whereas the control group included 17 healthy infants with the same demographic characteristics. The analysis of plasma samples was carried out using ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. The plasma concentration of MMP-17 in boys with cryptorchidism was significantly higher compared to the control group (p = 0.0365). The concentration of plasma IL-8, MMP-3, and HSP-70 in boys with cryptorchidism increased in comparison to the control group but these increases were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). A positive correlation was found between plasma MMP-17 and HSP-70 concentration (r = 0.5153; p < 0.0001). Our results demonstrate that MMP-17 and HSP-70 might be involved in pathogenesis of cryptorchidism and are in line with current knowledge that high temperature has a negative influence on male gonads., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Monorchidism is an uncommon condition in tomcats, defined by the congenital absence of one of the testicles. Due to the lack of information regarding possible biomarkers, most monorchidism cases require laparotomy in order to differentiate it from cryptorchidism. Human data suggest that monorchid patients have lower serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels when compared to cryptorchids, premises that has been also scrutinized in veterinary medicine. Here, we describe a case of monorchidism in a tomcat, focusing on the clinical findings and the dynamics of AMH serum levels before and after the removal of the singularly identified testicle. To contribute to the limited knowledge of AMH levels across different reproductive statuses in tomcats, the findings from this monorchid case were compared to values obtained from two cryptorchid tomcats (one unilateral and one bilateral), three intact tomcats, and three castrated tomcats. In addition, clinical, histopathological and ultrasound examinations were conducted in all tomcats. The AMH levels in the monorchid tomcat revealed a consistent decrease after surgery, from 27.3 ± 0.2 ng/ml when the testicle was still present, to 2.3 ± 0.2 ng/ml 1 week later, and further decreasing below the detection limit (<0.15 ng/ml) for the last 2 weeks of the trial, matching the AMH level of the castrated male. AMH serum levels of the bilateral and unilateral cryptorchid tomcat (22.5 ± 0.3 ng/ml; 24.1 ± 0.2 ng/ml) were in agreement with those of the three intact males (19.1 ± 2.2 ng/ml) and the monorchid prior to surgery. AMH testing effectively confirmed the absence of testicular tissue after unilateral orchiectomy in a monorchid tomcat but did not differentiate between monorchidism and cryptorchidism. To our knowledge, this is the first case of monorchidism in tomcats, in which AMH levels before and after surgery have been determined., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)