IS IPSILATERAL TESTIS MANDATORY FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF CONTRALATERAL INTRATESTICULAR BIOCHEMICAL-CHANGES INDICATIVE OF HYPOXIA AFTER UNILATERAL SPERMATIC CORD TORSION

Experimental unilateral spermatic cord torsion has been shown to induc e both ipsilateral and contralateral intratesticular biochemical chang es indicative of hypoxia. An experimental study was conducted to see w hether the presence of the ipsilateral testicular tissue is necessary for the occurrence of the biochemical changes in the contralateral tes tis. Male, adult, albino rats were divided into four groups each conta ining 10 rats. One group served to determine basal values of biochemic al parameters indicative of tissue hypoxia, another group was subjecte d to unilateral spermatic cord torsion in the presence of ipsilateral testis; a further group was subjected to unilateral spermatic cord tor sion after ipsilateral subepididymal orchiectomy, and the last group u nderwent unilateral subepididymal orchiectomy alone as control. Lactic acid, hypoxanthine and lipid peroxidation product levels which are bi ochemical indicators of tissue hypoxia were determined in testicular t issues and kidneys. All three parameters increased significantly in co ntralateral testes but not in kidneys after unilateral spermatic cord torsion both when the ipsilateral testis was present and absent (p < 0 .05). It is concluded that the ipsilateral testis does not play a role in transmitting these contralateral changes after unilateral spermati c cord torsion. Impulse-triggering contralateral changes may arise fro m spermatic vessels or nerves.