Protective effect of hydrogen sulfide on experimental testicular ischemia reperfusion in rats

Abstract

Testicular torsion is an urgent urological condition. Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) processes that occur after detorsion as a treatment for torsion are caused by testicular injury. The purpose of our study is investigating the protecting effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on the testicular ischemia reperfusion injury. Thirty-eightWistar-Albino rats were divided randomly into 6 different groups: Control (6); sham (6); IR-E (6)-2h of torsion and 4h of reperfusion; IR-E+H2S (6)-in addition to the IR-E group, 75μmol/kg of sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS) was administered intraperitoneally 30min before reperfusion; IR-L (7)-2h of torsion and 24h of reperfusion; IR-L+H2S (7)-in addition to the IR-L group, 75μmol/kg NaHS was administered intraperitoneally 30min before reperfusion. Biochemically, nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reductive glutathione (GSH), and tumor TNF-α levels were measured in the testis. Serum TNF-α levels were also measured. Hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) was used for histopathologicalstaining and microscopic findings were examined. The Johnsen score was performed to assess spermatogenesis activity in the testis. Apoptosis protease activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity were evaluated immunohistochemically as well. Statistical analyses were made by the Chi-squared test and one-way analysis of variance. MDA and NO levels were significantly increased in the IR-L group compared with sham and which decreased by the addition of H2S treatment to the IR-L group (p<0.05) in biochemical evaluation. GSH vs SOD levels were decreased in the IR-L group compared with sham and which increased by the addition of H2S treatment to the IR-L group, but this correlations were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Tissue and serum TNF-α levels were significantly increased in the IR-E group compared with sham and which decreased by the addition of H2S treatment to the IR-E group. Johnsen score was the lowest in IR-L group (p<0.05). Apaf-1 and iNOS activity were significantly increased in the IR-L group compared with sham and which decreased by the addition of H2S treatment to the IR-L group (p<0.05) in immunohistochemical evaluation. First, the authors would like to say that H2S treatment is protective and it is againstischemia reperfusion injury in testicular torsion. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic properties of H2S caused protective effect as shown in this study.