[Apoptosis of epididymal epithelium and the content of epididymal carnitine following testicular torsion/detorsion in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between the apoptosis of epididymal epithelium and the change of epididymal carnitine following testicular torsion/detorsion in rats.


METHODS
Twenty-four healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: Group A (2-hr torsion), Group B (5-hr torsion) and a control group (0-hr torsion). The ipsilateral epididymides were collected for detecting the content of carnitine by DTNB technique and the apoptosis of epididymal epithelium by TUNEL technique.


RESULTS
Twenty-four hours after the treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in the apoptosis of epididymal epithelium and the content of epididymal carnitine between the 2-hr torsion/detorsion group and the control (P > 0.05). However, there was statistically significant difference in the apoptosis of epididymal epithelium and the content of epididymal carnitine between the 5-hr group and the control (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Twenty-four hours after 2-hr testicular torsion/detorsion, the carnitine-concentrating function of the epididymis may remain normal and the apoptosis index of epididymal epithelium does not increase significantly, while one day after 5-hr testicular torsion/detorsion, the apoptosis index increases and the carnitine-concentrating function decreases.
Guan
Yi
Y
Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
Zheng
Xin-min
XM
Yang
Zhi-wei
ZW
Li
Shi-wen
SW
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002331:Carnitine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
D002331:Carnitine