The Mechanism of Damage to the Contralateral Testis Following Testicular Torsion and Detorsion in Rats and the Effect of Allopurinol Administration.
10.4111/kju.2006.47.2.180
- Author:
Dae Jung LIM
1
;
Sung Kyu HONG
;
Seong Jin JEONG
;
Hwang CHOI
Author Information
1. Department of Urology, Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Testis;
Torsion;
Reperfusion injury;
Lipid peroxidation
- MeSH:
Allopurinol*;
Animals;
Free Radicals;
Kidney;
Lipid Peroxidation;
Malondialdehyde;
Oxygen;
Rats*;
Reperfusion;
Reperfusion Injury;
Rivers;
Spermatic Cord Torsion*;
Spermatids;
Superoxide Dismutase;
Testis*
- From:Korean Journal of Urology
2006;47(2):180-188
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: This study was performed to determine the mechanism of contralateral testis damage after repair of testicular torsion. In addition, we investigated the effect of allopurinol pretreatment on the contralateral testis damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the testes, kidneys and serum samples were determined in rats following torsion, detorsion or detorsion after allopurinol pretreatment, as were the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the testes samples. H&E staining was performed on the testes specimens and we calculated the mean numbers of spermatids per tubule in each group. RESULTS: Torsion caused a significant increase in the MDA levels in the contralateral testes, and detorsion caused a further significant increase in MDA in the contralateral testes and in the serum. Moreover, pretreatment with allopurinol prevented this further increase. The levels of SOD in the contralateral testes were not significantly different between the sham and torsion groups, whereas detorsion caused a significant reduction in SOD. In addition, pretreatment with allopurinol also prevented this decrease. The contralateral testes were histologically normal in all groups and the mean numbers of spermatids per tubule in the ipsilateral and contralateral testes were similar in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Injury of the contralateral testis after the repair of testicular torsion seems to be caused by lipid peroxidation that is due to oxygen free radicals induced by the reperfusion of ischemic torsed testis. Toxic substances such as oxygen free radicals seem to be transferred to the contralateral testes through the blood stream, and allopurinol appears to protect the contralateral testes from the injury caused by detorsion.
