MORPHOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL-CHANGES FOLLOWING ACUTE UNILATERAL TESTICULAR TORSION IN PREPUBERTAL RATS

Purpose: The role played by reactive oxygen species in the effects of testicular torsion and torsion/detorsion on ipsilateral and contralate ral testis was investigated. Materials and Methods: Prepubertal rats w ere submitted to unilateral testicular torsion alone or followed by de torsion for up to 1 week. Morphology and biochemical parameters (thiob arbituric reactive substances, superoxide dismutase-like and catalase- like activities) were evaluated. Results: Torsion (1 or 2 h) alone ind uced time-dependent morphological damages that worsened progressively after detorsion in ipsilateral testis but had no effect on contralater al testis, The levels of antioxidants against the superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide decreased in ipsilateral but not in contralateral t estis. However, the level of thiobarbituric reactive substances (an in dicator of lipid perioxidation) decreased after testicular torsion or torsion/detorsion in both testes. Conclusion: These data emphasize tha t oxidative stress may play a role in testicular damage caused by tors ion/detorsion and that biochemical indicators of oxidative stress are more sensitive than histological techniques in detecting modifications in the contralateral testis.