The effect of methylene blue on histological damage after spermatic cord torsion in a rat model.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate, in a rat model, whether methylene blue (a free-radical scavenger) is effective in alleviating the histological testicular damage caused by reperfusion after spermatic cord torsion.


METHODS
Male Wistar rats underwent a clockwise 720 degrees left spermatic cord torsion lasting 3 h; they were then randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. In the treated group, 2 mg/kg methylene blue was injected intraperitoneally 20 min before the cord was untwisted, and an additional 1 mg/kg injected into the penile vein 1--2 min beforehand. After 14 days, the left testicle was removed and assessed histologically. The control group was not treated.


RESULTS
Thirty-three rats in the treatment group and 35 untreated controls were suitable for evaluation. Treatment with methylene blue was not significantly predictive of histological damage; the colour of the testis before detorsion was not correlated with histological damage.


CONCLUSIONS
Anti-oxidant treatment with methylene blue had no palliative effect on the histological changes after torsion and detorsion of the spermatic cord in this rat model.
Greenstein
A
A
Department of Urology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. surge04@post.tau.ac.il
Schreiber
L
L
Matzkin
H
H
D000818:Animals; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008751:Methylene Blue