Role of Ascorbic Acid in Ameliorating Testicular Tissue Damage Induced by Testicular Torsion and Detorsion: An Animal Model Study

Abstract

Introduction: Testicular torsion-detorsion induced tissue damage, in neonates or adolescents may hamper fertility potential in their future life. Ascorbic acid being a water-soluble antioxidant has a number of antioxidant properties and is the most important antioxidant in human plasma. Aim: To evaluate the potential role of ascorbic acid in ameliorating testicular tissue damage induced by testicular torsion and detorsion in wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Forty male albino wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group I served as normal control while Group II underwent Sham operation. Animals of Group III underwent testicular torsion and detorsion without any treatment while animals of Group IV were pretreated with ascorbic acid for 30 days, followed by 3 hours of testicular torsion and one hour detorsion. In the animals that underwent testicular torsion the testis appeared devitalised and a mild testicular oedema was observed. On detorsion, there was a slight further increase in oedema beside reactive hyperaemia. Other than this no complications were seen in the rats during the observation period. All the animals were sacrificed 1 hour after the experimental procedure, and testicular tissue sample was collected and evaluated for Seminiferous Tubular Diameter (STD), Seminiferous Epithelial Height (SEH), tubular necrosis, tissue lipid peroxidation, tissue glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS package version II. The analysis of multiple group variation was done by ANOVA. Intergroup comparison was done by post-hoc (LSD) test. Results: Animals of Group III showed a decrease in STD and SHE compared to Groups I and II. A four-fold increase in lipid peroxidation was observed in these animals (Group III). Superoxide dismutase and tissue glutathione levels were considerably reduced in these animals. Whereas, animals of Group IV showed merely 25% of seminiferous tubular necrosis with no significant decrease in their STD and SEH. A significant reduction in lipid peroxidation was also observed in these animals with antioxidants showing near to normal value compared to their untreated controls. Conclusion: Results of the present study display that pretreatment with ascorbic acid offers salvaging effect on the testicular torsion-detorsion induced injury in rats.

Keywords

• spermatic cord torsion
• testis
• vitamin c