Nanocurcumin Decreases Nucleotide-Binding Oligomerization Domain-Like Receptor Family Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Complex Expressions in An Experimental Testicular Torsion Model

Abstract

Background: Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency leads to severe acute ischemia injuries, and may eventuallycause male infertility. The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domaincontaining3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is involved in testicular torsion pathophysiology. The aim of this study was toevaluate the effects of nanocurcumin (nCur) on testicular tissue and the NLRP3 inflammasome components.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, male Wistar rats (n=36) were randomly divided into six equalgroups: controls, ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), I/R+nCur (50 or 100 mg/kg thirty minutes before reperfusion), and I/R+nCur (50 or 100 mg/kg thirty minutes before reperfusion and continued for seven days). The left testis was rotated720 (2×360) degrees counterclockwise to induce testicular torsion. After two hours of ischemia, detorsion was performed.At the end of treatment, an orchiectomy was carried out. The testis histopathology and the mRNA levels ofNLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and Caspase-1 were evaluated.Results: Our results revealed that, testicular I/R had a detrimental effect on testis histology such as the number ofspermatogonia (14.5 ± 0.57, P<0.001) and the seminiferous tubules epithelium thickness (28.5 ± 11.7, P=0.007).It also significantly increased the expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome components (P<0.001). Treatment withnCur (in both doses) improved testicular damage and significantly reduced the expression of NLRP3 (P=0.007), ASC(P=0.003), and Caspase-1 (P<0.001).Conclusion: These results imply that nCur might be a useful therapeutic strategy in the field of reproductive medicineto diminish the side effects of testicular I/R via its anti-inflammatory properties and may be employed as adjuvanttherapy to lessen testicular torsion complications.

Keywords

• nanocurcumin
• rat
• testicular torsion
• testis