Artificial Neural Network to Predict Varicocele Impact on Male Fertility through Testicular Endocannabinoid Gene Expression Profiles

Figure 1

Experimental design. In this figure the different experimental groups are summarized: CTR, healthy animals; VAR, surgical induced varicocele rats; LAPARO, animals only subjected to a surgical laparotomy approach. To assess the male reproductive outcomes, animals belonging to the experimental groups, after sixty days, were bred with two different females of proved fertility in order to promote two consecutive mating cycles. Each mating cycle lasted 7 days and was spaced by 7 days of reproductive stop. The experimental animals were sacrificed and bilateral orchiectomies were performed when both the broods were delivered, and the number of new-borns were recorded.