title: Effect of allopurinol on damage caused by free radicals to cryptorchid testes.
abstract: Cryptorchidism causes apoptosis of germ cells. It has been suggested that the redox regulatory system is involved in this process. The free radicals produced are thought to be generated during the production of uric acid, a reaction catalyzed by xanthine oxidase. This enzyme is inhibited by allopurinol; however, the role of allopurinol in neonate rats with inguinal cryptorchidism has not been assessed yet. Sixty male Wistar rats were used and five groups were formed: a control, a sham, a sham group with allopurinol administration and two groups with surgical unilateral cryptorchidism, which either did not receive, or received, allopurinol. The rats were assessed at 40 days post-partum. Reactive oxygen species concentration and epithelial area were measured and the histopathological, apoptotic and cellular proliferation indexes were determined. We found a decrease in reactive oxygen species, histopathological and apoptotic indexes and an increase in proliferation index and epithelial area in rats with cryptorchidism treated with allopurinol in comparison with rats with untreated cryptorchidism. We suggest that the over-production of reactive oxygen species plays an important role in the damage of the cryptorchid testes. Allopurinol administration decreases reactive oxygen species concentrations as well as the damage to the germ epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Subdirección de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico; Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootécnia, UNAM, Mexico. marcoviv@servidor.unam.mx
authors.forename: Rosa María
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Vigueras-Villaseñor
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molina-Ortiz
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reyes-Torres
authors.forename: Daniel Santamaría
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: del Angel
authors.forename: Norma Angélica
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Moreno-Mendoza
authors.forename: Mercedes Edna Garcia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Osvaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cuevas-Alpuche
authors.forename: Julio César
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rojas-Castañeda
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000633:toxicity*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000493:Allopurinol