title: Psoralea corylifolia protects against testicular torsion/detorsion-induced ischemia/reperfusion injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pathophysiology of testicular torsion-detorsion is ischemia-reperfusion injury of the testis. In the course of testicular ischemia and reperfusion, overgeneration of reactive oxygen species is a major initiating component of the testicular spermatogenic injury. Reactive oxygen species regulate many genes whose expression affects cell-cycle regulation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The transcription factor cAMP-responsive element modulator-τ (CREMτ) plays an essential role in spermatogenesis. Psoralea corylifolia, a medicinal herb with anti-oxidative activity, has been used to treat male reproductive dysfunction in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, we investigated the effect of Psoralea corylifolia on testicular torsion/detorsion-induced injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, each containing 20 rats. Rats in the control group underwent a sham operation of the left testis. In the torsion-detorsion group, the left testis was rotated 720° for 2h. Rats in the treatment group received the same surgical procedure as the torsion-detorsion group, but Psoralea corylifolia was administered orally. Bilateral orchiectomy was performed on half of the rats in each experimental group at 4h after detorsion for measurement of malondialdehyde which is an indicator of intratesticular reactive oxygen species content. Orchiectomy was performed on the remaining rats at 3 months after detorsion for analysis of testicular CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unilateral testicular torsion-detorsion caused a significant increase in malondialdehyde level and caused significant decreases in CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testes. Psoralea corylifolia treatment significantly decreased malondialdehyde level and significantly increased CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testes, compared with torsion-detorsion group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that Psoralea corylifolia may protect testicular spermatogenesis by enhancing CREMτ expression by scavenging reactive oxygen species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Zhejiang Medical College, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province 310053, China. wsm1971@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Si-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Zhi-Zhong
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051786:Cyclic AMP Response Element Modulator / Q000378:metabolism; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D029907:Psoralea / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C497412:Crem protein, rat; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D051786:Cyclic AMP Response Element Modulator; D008315:Malondialdehyde