The protective effect of darbepoetin alfa on experimental testicular torsion and detorsion injury.
OBJECTIVE
Testicular torsion is a serious urological emergency, usually involving newborns, children, and adolescents which can lead to subfertility and infertility. Prevention of testicular damage caused by torsion is still a clinical and experimental problem. So far many chemicals and drugs have been investigated for decreasing ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in experimental animals. The possible protective effect of darbepoetin alfa, a novel erythropoietic protein, on testicular tissue after I/R injury was examined in this study.


METHODS
Thirty rats were divided into three groups: sham operation, torsion/detorsion, and torsion/detorsion plus darbepoetin alfa groups. After torsion (2 hours) and detorsion (4 hours), bilateral orchiectomy was performed. Malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and glutathione levels were determined in testicular tissue.


RESULTS
Administration of darbepoetin alfa caused a decrease of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels and an increase in glutathione levels compared with the torsion/detorsion group. In addition, histological injury scores were significantly decreased in the treatment group more than the torsion/detorsion group.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that darbepoetin alfa may be a potential protective agent for preventing testicular injury caused by testis torsion.
Akcora
Bulent
B
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey. bulentakcora@yahoo.com
Altug
Muhammed Enes
ME
Kontas
Tunay
T
Atik
Esin
E
D000818:Animals; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000188:drug therapy*
D006397:Hematinics; D004921:Erythropoietin; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa