Objective  To evaluate the effects of vasodilator therapies and chemical sympathectomy on ipsilateral and contralateral testicular spermatogenetic activity after unilateral testicular torsion using DNA flow cytometry and thus determine whether contralateral testicular damage occurs through a reflexively decreased blood flow. Materials and methods  The study comprised four groups of 20 rats each (groups 1–4) respectively receiving isotonic saline, verapamil, pentoxifylline and 6‐hydroxy dopamine hydrobromide (6‐OHD) intraperitoneally. Each group was further divided into two subgroups containing 10 rats which respectively underwent either a sham operation or 720° clockwise torsion applied to the left testis. The testes were harvested after 24 h and the relative proportions of haploid, diploid and tetraploid cells determined by DNA flow cytometry for each testis. The proportion of haploid cells was used as an estimate of spermatogenesis. The mean proportions of haploid cells in the groups were compared using a one‐way anova and paired groups were compared using Student’s t‐test. Results  The proportions of haploid cells in the ipsilateral testes of rats undergoing torsion were significantly lower than in their contralateral testes and in the ipsilateral testes of the control groups. In group 4 (6‐OHD) the proportion of haploid cells in the contralateral testes was significantly higher than those in the other groups after unilateral testicular torsion, but significantly lower than those in groups 1 and 4 after a sham operation. After unilateral testicular torsion the haploid cell proportions of the contralateral testes of groups 1–3 were not significantly different from each other. Conclusions  Because the spermatogenetic activity in the contralateral testis is depressed within 24 h of ipsilateral testicular torsion, contralateral testicular damage is an acquired effect; 6‐OHD offers some protection and thus the damage seems to result from the involvement of the sympathetic system.

Objective To determine the changes occurring during diCerences in content between groups 1 and 3, 1 and 4, and 2 and 4. The content in group 4 was ipsilateral spermatic cord torsion either in the presence or absence of the ipsilateral testis and epididymis, by significantly less than that in group 3. There were no significant diCerences in nitrite-nitrate contents evaluating noradrenaline and nitrite-nitrate concentrations in the contralateral testes.among any of the groups. Conclusion Spermatic cord torsion for 24 h, either in the Materials and methods Forty male albino rats were allocated randomly to one of four equal groups underpresence or absence of a testis and epididymis, significantly decreased the noradrenaline content in the going: group 1, a sham operation; group 2, ipsilateral spermatic cord torsion; group 3, epididymocontralateral testis. This finding supports the suggestion that the sympathetic system is activated by expoorchidectomy only; and group 4, spermatic cord torsion after epididymo-orchidectomy. The contralateral sure to noradrenaline in the contralateral testis during ipsilateral spermatic cord torsion, with no dependency testes were harvested after 24 h and the noradrenaline and nitrite-nitrate contents determined. The levels in on the presence of a testis and epididymis. As the nitrite-nitrate concentrations were unaCected, nitric each group were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-tests.oxide seems to have no role in contralateral testicular deterioration. Results The noradrenaline content of testes from group 2 was significantly lower than in those of Keywords Spermatic cord torsion, contralateral testicular damage, catecholamines, nitric oxide groups 1 and 3, but there were no significant rated within 24 h of ipsilateral spermatic cord torsion,

Intra-abdominal placement of the testes with vas deferens ligation decreased the contractile response to noradrenaline in the ipsilateral vas deferens without altering the contractile response to EFS and high K+. This difference could be caused by a reduction in the number of postjunctional alpha-adrenergic receptors or decreased receptor sensitivity. Both possibilities suggest that the vas deferens may initiate sympathetic activity, which may be responsible for contralateral testicular deterioration.

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