1. Presence of the brain proteins cerebral cavernous malformation-2 and cerebral cavernous malformation-3 in rat testes and their potential role in experimental varicocele 
Gamze Tanriover, Ph.D., Leyla Sati, M.Sc., Merih Tekcan, B.Sc., Necdet Demir, Ph.D., Murat Gunel, M.D., Ciler Celik-Ozenci, D.D.S., Ph.D. 
Fertility and Sterility 
Volume 93, Issue 8, Pages (May 2010)
DOI: /j.fertnstert
Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

2. Figure 1
Localization of the CCM2 protein in control, sham, and varicocele-induced adult rat testes (A–N). (A, E, J) Low magnification images of control, sham, and varicocele-induced rat testicular tissue sections are presented. (B, C) Note that CCM2 first appears in the acrosomal caps of round spermatid acrosome and is specific to tubules in spermatogenic stages 6–8 (arrows). Also, elongating spermatid heads are CCM2 immunopositive in stages 1–5 (F, arrows) and 9–14 (D, G, arrows). (K, E) In the varicocele group, expression of CCM2 is localized in symplasts (arrows) and vessels in the interstititum (arrowheads). (H) Negative control section; note the absence of CCM2 immunostaining. (N) Ductus epididiymis section localized at the periphery of the varicocele-induced testes. Note the presence of abnormal gametes passing through the duct. Arrows indicate round spermatids with CCM2 expression. Scale bar represents 50 μm.
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

3. Figure 2
Representative pictures of CCM3 protein expression in control, sham, and varicocele-induced adult rat testes (A–N). (A, E, J) The low magnification image of the rat testicular tissue section is presented in control, sham, and varicocele-induced groups. An intense immunostaining of CCM3 protein in round spermatid cytoplasm is shown in spermatogenic stages 1–8 (B, F), with increased expression in stage 8 (F). (C, D, F) Elongating spermatid cytoplasm exhibited strong CCM3 expression in spermatogenic stages 9–14, whereas weak immunoreactivity is observed in primary spermatocytes (C, double arrow). (H) In testicular sections preincubated with an excess of the immunogen, no staining is observed. (K) Immunohistochemical localization of CCM3 expression is prominent in symplasts in varicocele-induced groups (arrows). (M) In addition, there is a strong positive immunoreactivity for CCM3 in microvessels of the interstitium (arrowheads). (N) Ductus epididymis section localized at the periphery of the varicocele-induced testes. Arrows indicate round spermatids with cytoplasmic CCM3 expression. Scale bar represents 50 μm.
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

4. Figure 3
Western blot results of CCM2 and CCM3 proteins in control, sham, and varicocele-induced rat testes. (A) Immunoblots of testes extracts using anti-CCM2 and anti-CCM3 bands (47 and 25 kDa, respectively) are detected in positive control (brain; lane B) and testes samples (lane C, control; lane S, sham; lane V, varicocele). The immunoexpression of β-actin (43 kDa) is used as an internal standard. (B) The protein levels of CCM2 and CCM3 molecules are significantly higher in varicocele-induced groups than the levels in the control and sham-operated groups.
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions