Experimental unilateral spermatic cord torsion: the effect of polypolymerase enzyme inhibitor on histopathological and biochemical changes in the early and late periods in the ipsilateral and contralateral testicles.

OBJECTIVES: We wanted to show early and late biochemical, histopathological, and apoptotic changes caused by unilateral spermatic cord torsion in ipsilateral and contralateral testicles and the effect of the poly (adenosine triphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, nicotinamide, on these changes in early and late periods.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven Wistar albino rats were divided into 2 major groups as early and late periods. Subsequently, each group was divided into subgroups as control, sham, torsion-detorsion (TD), TD treated with saline (TDS), and TD treated with nicotinamide (TDN). Left testicles were subjected to spermatic cord torsion for 4 hours. Thirty-minutes before detorsion, 0.2 mL saline or 10 mg/kg nicotinamide was administered intraperitoneally to the TDS and TDN groups, respectively. Bilateral orchidectomy was performed by the end of the fourth hour in early and 2 months after TD in late groups and the animals were sacrificed. Apoptosis, Johnsen Tubular Biopsy Score, and seminiferous tubule diameter (STD) were used to evaluate histopathological changes. Ischemia-reperfusion injury-related changes were assessed by levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total and free glutathione in serum.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between groups in terms of serum MDA and total and free glutathione levels. Rats given nicotinamide had a higher number of spermatogonia in seminiferous tubules in early and late periods when compared with the untreated group (P <.05). In early and late groups, mean STD of contralateral and ipsilateral testicles were higher in rats given nicotinamide when compared with untreated groups. No significance was observed in terms of STD between early and late groups. Late groups treated with nicotinamide had less apoptosis when compared with untreated groups (P <.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Nicotinamide may successfully decrease ischemia-reperfusion injury in early and late periods in both testicles.