OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the apoptosis of epididymal epithelium and the change of epididymal carnitine following testicular torsion/detorsion in rats.

METHODSTwenty-four healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: Group A (2-hr torsion), Group B (5-hr torsion) and a control group (0-hr torsion). The ipsilateral epididymides were collected for detecting the content of carnitine by DTNB technique and the apoptosis of epididymal epithelium by TUNEL technique.

RESULTSTwenty-four hours after the treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in the apoptosis of epididymal epithelium and the content of epididymal carnitine between the 2-hr torsion/detorsion group and the control (P > 0.05). However, there was statistically significant difference in the apoptosis of epididymal epithelium and the content of epididymal carnitine between the 5-hr group and the control (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTwenty-four hours after 2-hr testicular torsion/detorsion, the carnitine-concentrating function of the epididymis may remain normal and the apoptosis index of epididymal epithelium does not increase significantly, while one day after 5-hr testicular torsion/detorsion, the apoptosis index increases and the carnitine-concentrating function decreases.