[Experimental study of contralateral testicular changes after unilateral testicular torsion in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To study the changes of the contralateral testicular histology and germ cell apoptosis after unilateral testicular torsion (UTT) and to determine whether the contralateral testis is injured or not.


METHODS
Sixty SD male rats were divided into control group (12 rats) and experimental group(48 rats). The former underwent sham operation of the left testis under general anaesthesia. The latter underwent left testis torsion(720 degrees) for 6 h, and then 4 of them were sacrificed and the other 44 were subdivided into the torsed testis untwisted group (22 rats) and the torsed testis removal group (22 rats), 7-8 rats were sacrificed and both testes (twisted and untwisted) were removed 1 day, 1 week and 4 weeks after surgery. All testes underwent histological and germ cell apoptosis examination.


RESULTS
There were significant histological changes in the contralateral testis, and the germ cell apoptosis was increased greatly in the contralateral testis.


CONCLUSIONS
UTT can cause contralateral testicular injury, whose mechanism may be related to reperfusion, and torsed testis removal can prevent or reduce damage to the contralateral testis.
Yao
Qi-Sheng
QS
Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China.
Ye
Zhang-Qun
ZQ
Wang
Xiao-Kang
XK
Yi
Jian-Hua
JH
Zhang
Ji-Cai
JC
Chen
Cong-Bo
CB
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000473:pathology*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*