BACKGROUND: Disruption of testicular function and arrest ofspermatogenesis are the consequence of cryptorchidism inresponse to elevated temperature. OBJECTIVES:This investigationwas set to clarify the possible ghrelin efficacy in altering somesperm quality parameters upon experimentally-induced cryptorchidism.METHODS: Thirty male adult rats were scheduled for thestudy and were divided into three groups: group 1 was served ascontrol-saline (CS), group 2 was designed as cryptorchidism-saline(CrS), and group 3 was defined as cryptorchidism-ghrelin (CrG).After surgically inducing cryptorchidism in groups 2 and 3, theresearchers gave 10 nmol of ghrelin to CrG rats for 7 consecutivedays. Five animals in each group were equally killed on days 3 and7 after operation and their testes were taken for sperm evaluation.RESULTS: Testicular weight, sperm forward progressive motility(FPM), functional membrane integrity (assessed by HOS-test), andsperm concentration displayed slight changes after heating on day3. However, abdominal position of the testes for 7 days caused asignificant reduction in the percentages of HOS-positive cells(p<0.0001), FPM (p<0.0001), and sperm concentration (p<0.01).Although a 30% decrease occurred in the testicular weight at thispoint, however, this reduction was not statistically significant.Interestingly, HOS-test and FPM percentages were significantlyhigher in the ghrelin-exposed animals compared to the CrS groupon day 7 (p<0.05). However, ghrelin treatment had not considerableinfluence on sperm parameters by day 3. Moreover, spermconcentration and testicular weight did not exhibit any changeseither on day 3 or at day 7 upon ghrelin injection (p>0.05).CONCLUSIONS: Indeed, this function of ghrelin could be attributedto its antioxidant properties and it may be implicated as a potentialagent in attenuation of impaired spermatogenesis after cryptorchidism.