The protective effect of L-arginine, tadalafil, and their combination in rat testes after ischemia and reperfusion injury

Abstract

Cite as: Can Urol Assoc J 2017;11(1-2):E19-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.3872 Published online January 12, 2017 AbstractIntroduction: Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the ischemia and reperfusion process. In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of L-arginine, tadalafil, and their combination for prevention of the ischemia reperfusion injury after testis torsion in rats. Methods: A total of 40 adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into five groups. Three hours of left testicular torsion was performed in each group, excluding the control group. While the ischemia reperfusion (I/R) group had no treatment, I/R + Arg group received L-arginine, I/R + Td group received tadalafil and I/R + Arg + Td group received tadalafil and L-arginine 30 minutes before the detorsion. Then the left testis was untwisted for four hours of reperfusion. After bilateral orchiectomy, lipid peroxidation (LPx) and glutathione (GSH) activities were examined in testicular tissue. Spermatogenesis was evaluated with Johnsen's score. Results: LPx levels of the I/R group were found to be significantly higher than for groups that received drugs for both testes (p<0.001). GSH levels of the combination group were higher than I/R group in ipsilateral testis (p<0.01) and it was significantly higher than other groups for contralateral testis (p<0.001 for I/R group, p<0.01 for I/R + Arg, p<0.05 for I/R + Td). Mean Johnsen's score of the I/R group was found to be significantly lower than treatment groups in ipsilateral testis (p<0.001 for I/R + Arg + Td group, p<0.01 for other treatment goups) and contralateral testis (p<0.001). The mean Johnsen score of the combination group was significantly higher than that of other treatment groups in ipsilateral testis (p<0.05) and it was significantly higher than in the I/R + Td group in the contralateral testis (p<0.05). Conclusions: L-arginine, tadalafil, and combination of these two molecules showed protective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury for both testes after unilateral testis torsion.

Protective effects of Tadalafil and darbepoetin against ischemia - reperfusion injury in a rat testicular torsion model

“…It is without a doubt that the protection of non-torsioned testis plays out a significant role in fertility potential. While higher levels of lipid peroxidation, low antioxidant capacity and high histopathological damage levels are reported for contralateral testicle on some of the conducted studies, there are also opposing studies which claim that no significant damage occurs in the contralateral testis ( 13 , 14 ). Also in our study, the histopathological damage level, fibrosis rate and caspase-3 immunohistochemistry levels of contralateral testes, especially of those in the I / R group, have been found to be significantly higher than in the sham group; in addition, also the spermatogenesis level in these testes were significantly lower than the sham group.…”

“…The results of these studies are contradictory in general terms. In one of these studies, it has been claimed that the use of Td combined with arginine could be effective in protecting both testes from I / R injury ( 13 ). Beheshtian et al make reference to the protective effects of sildenafil administered prior to detorsion and they based this finding upon the increased antioxidant enzyme levels, decreased lipid peroxidation and germ cell apoptosis they have found in their experiment ( 17 ).…”

Probucol Reduces Testicular Torsion/Detorsion-Induced Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats

“…There are conflicting results in the literature about whether unilateral testicular ischemia-reperfusion causes contralateral testicular damage. Some experimental studies showed that unilateral testicular ischemia-reperfusion resulted in contralateral testicular lesion [ 29 , 30 ], while others reported no injury to the contralateral testis [ 31 , 32 ]. In our study, we found that unilateral testicular ischemia-reperfusion caused significant changes in E-selectin protein expression, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde level, and spermatogenesis in the ipsilateral testis, but the contralateral testis did not show obvious changes in these parameters.…”

Current state and future possibilities of ovarian tissue transplantation

“…However, antioxidants have demonstrated only limited beneficial effects for OTT, and they are very controversial . In terms of protection from ischemia‐reperfusion injury, amlodipine, tadalafil (long‐acting phosphodiesterase type‐5 (PDE‐5) inhibitor), and L‐arginine (NO precursor) have been investigated in ovarian and testicular torsion model animals.…”