Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Testicular Tissue Injury after Torsion and Detorsion.
10.4111/kju.2010.51.11.794
- Author:
Young Ho KIM
1
;
Gun Hwa KIM
;
Ju Hyun SHIN
;
Kang Sup KIM
;
Jae Sung LIM
Author Information
1. Department of Urology, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea. uro17@cnuh.co.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Ginseng;
Oxidative stress;
Testicular torsion
- MeSH:
Animals;
Humans;
Luminescence;
Male;
Oxidative Stress;
Panax;
Rats;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Reactive Oxygen Species;
Renal Veins;
Seminiferous Tubules;
Spermatic Cord Torsion;
Superoxides;
Testis
- From:Korean Journal of Urology
2010;51(11):794-799
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: Korean red ginseng (KRG) is a potent antioxidant and a free radical scavenger. This study was designed to determine whether KRG could protect against dysfunction and oxidative stress induced by torsion-detorsion injury in rat testis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: a sham-operated control group (C), a sham-operated and KRG-treated group (K), a 2 hours torsion and detorsion group (T), and a 2 hours torsion and detorsion and KRG-treated group (T+K). We measured testis weight and hormone levels and reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the left renal vein. Superoxide generation was measured on the basis of lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence in testis tissue. RESULTS: Testicular weight was significantly higher in the T+K group than in the T group; however, there were no significant differences in hormone levels between the 4 groups. The mean level of ROS and superoxide production was significantly higher in the T group than in the C group, whereas administration of KRG attenuated this increase. Upon histologic evaluation, the T group was found to have cellular disarray, a lack of cellular cohesiveness, degenerative changes in the germinal cells, and less distinct changes in the seminiferous tubules, whereas the T+K group had a germinal epithelial layer that appeared nearly normal. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that KRG recovered the testis dysfunction in the rat testis by suppressing superoxide production.
