Protective effect of oltipraz in testicular ischaemia/reperfusion injury: An experimental study

Abstract

Testicular torsion is an emergency urological disease, and the treatment is immediate surgery. Despite emergency surgery, testicular damage may occur due to reperfusion. Therefore, a medical treatment to prevent this damage may be a rational idea. We aimed to evaluate the protective effect of oltipraz in testicular ischaemia/reperfusion damage. Twenty‐eight Wistar–Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups. In ischaemia/reperfusion group, testicular torsion was executed, and orchiectomy was done 4 hr after detorsion with no treatment. Second group performed torsion; intraperitoneal 50 mg/kg oltipraz was applied 30 min before detorsion, and orchiectomy was performed 4 hr after detorsion. Third group applied torsion; intraperitoneal 150 mg/kg oltipraz was applied 30 min before detorsion, and orchiectomy was performed 4 hr after detorsion. Last one was the sham group. We evaluated tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH) and Johnsen testicular biopsy score. There was a significant decrease in TGF‐β1, GSH and MDA values in oltipraz treatment groups compared with ischaemia/reperfusion group. Oltipraz treatment has significant protective effect in testicular ischaemia/reperfusion damage. However, more clinical studies are needed to demonstrate appropriate dose and its effects.

Pathophysiology and management of testicular ischemia/reperfusion injury: Lessons from animal models

“…Testicular planimetry revealed that I/R significantly reduced the diameter and area of the seminiferous tubules (shrunken seminiferous tubules), the diameter of the seminiferous lumen, and epithelial height [ 6 , 7 ]. This is accompanied by distortion of testicular histoarchitecture evidenced by an increase in Cosentino's score, accumulation of inflammatory cells, intratubular oedema, and sloughing of the testicular germ cells [ 6 , 7 , 15 , 64 ].…”

“…In another experimental study, it was shown that oltipraz treatment has an advantageous effect to testicular I/R injury. Oltipraz exerts cytoprotective, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activities [ 64 ]. Uguralp and his colleagues [ 116 ] reported that resveratrol diminished apoptosis in the ipsilateral testes but did not reduce apoptosis in the contralateral testes.…”