title: Protective effect of erythropoietin pretreatment in testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate the effects of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone widely used for treatment of uremic anemia, in rats subjected to testicular ischemia and reperfusion (I/R).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five male rats were divided into the following: control, sham operated, ischemia (I), I/R, and I/R + EPO groups. In the I group, 2 hours of left unilateral testicular torsion were performed, and in the I/R and I/R + EPO groups, an additional 2 hours of testicular detorsions were performed. The I/R + EPO group was pretreated intraperitoneally with EPO (500 IU/kg) before reperfusion. Testicular tissue samples were examined for biochemical and histopathologic parameters. Apoptotic cells in all testes were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling technique and caspase 3 immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At histopathologic examination, ischemic changes in primary spermatocytes were noted in all torted testes. Cellular damage and apoptosis were more severe in ischemic groups than the EPO-pretreated group. There were statistically significant differences in tissue biochemical parameters in the I and I/R groups compared with the I/R + EPO group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study suggest that EPO exerts protective effects against I/R injury via the modulation of free radical scavenger's activities, which decreases lipid peroxidation levels and attenuation of apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Dokuz Eylul University Medical School, Balcova, Izmir 35340, Turkey. bekir.ergur@deu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Bekir Ugur
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Ergur
authors.forename: Muge
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiray
authors.forename: Cetin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pekcetin
authors.forename: H Alper
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Bagriyanik
authors.forename: Guven
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erbil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D011292:Premedication; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015424:Reperfusion / Q000009:adverse effects; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000628:therapy*; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D020011:Protective Agents; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin