[Breviscapine protects bilateral testes of prepubertal rats after testicular torsion/detorsion].

Objective: To investigate the long-term protective effect of breviscapine on the bilateral testes of prepubertal rats after testicular torsion / detorsion.

Methods: Thirty-two four-week-old healthy male SD rats were equally randomized into groups A(sham operation),B(normal saline),C(single-dose breviscapine, injected intraperitoneally at 2 mg per kg of the body weight at 30 min before testicular detorsion), and D( continuous-dosing breviscapine, injected intraperitoneally at 2 mg per kg of the body weight at 30 min before testicular detorsion qd for 7 days after surgery). At 6 weeks after establishment of the model of left testicular torsion /detorsion, the rats were sacrificed and the bilateral testes and epididymides harvested for detection of the total antioxidant capacity( TAOC),superoxide dismutase( SOD) level, nitric oxide synthase( NOS) activity, and malondialdehyde( MDA) content in the testis tissue, determination of sperm concentration, viability and motility, and observation of the pathological changes of the testis tissue.

Results: Compared with group B, both groups C and D showed obvious increases in the levels of SOD,T-AOC and NOS and the concentration, survival rate and motility of sperm, but a remarkable decrease in the MDA content, with statistically significant differences(P < 0. 05) except in T-AOC, sperm concentration and motility in the contralateral testis of group C and in NOS activity in the bilateral testes of group D. In comparison with the ipsilateral testis of group C,group D exhibited markedly elevated levels of SOD,T-AOC and NOS, increased sperm concentration, viability and motility, and reduced content of MDA in the bilateral testes, with statistically significant differences( P < 0. 05) except in NOS activity in the contralateral testis. Bilateral seminiferous tubule degeneration and interstitial edema were observed in group B, more severe in the injured than in the contralateral testis. Obvious improvement was seen in the post-torsion / detorsion histological changes of the bilateral testis tissue in groups C and D.

Conclusion: Breviscapine can obviously protect the bilateral testes of prepubertal rats after testicular torsion / detorsion by removal of oxygen free radicals and reduction of lipid peroxidation injury, and continuous dosing is even more effective than single-dose medication.