title: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in rats attenuates ischemia-reperfusion testicular injury through blockade of oxidative stress, suppression of inflammation, and reduction of nitric oxide formation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the therapeutic utility of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on testicular ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism, we tested whether HBO therapy provided rescue of the testes after torsion in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, control plus HBO therapy, I/R group, and I/R plus HBO therapy. The I/R model was induced by torsion of the right testis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  I/R in the testis resulted in disrupted seminiferous tubules, germ cell-specific apoptosis, followed by a marked reduction in testis weight and daily sperm production. HBO therapy preserved seminiferous tubules, suppressed apoptosis, and prevented testicular atrophy in I/R testes. HBO therapy abated oxidative stress in I/R testes, marked by reduced malondialdehyde formation, enhanced activities of superoxide dismutase and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and decreased activities of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and xanthine oxidase. HBO therapy resulted in a reduction of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in I/R testes, a marker of neutrophil recruitment. HBO therapy suppressed inflammation in I/R testes, marked by reduced messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and CD44. Furthermore, HBO therapy suppressed the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB), p38, and c-JUN-N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathways in I/R testes. In addition, HBO therapy reduced nitric oxide formation in I/R testes through suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HBO therapy in rats attenuated I/R-induced testicular injury, possibly through abating oxidative stress, suppressing inflammation, and reducing nitric oxide formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hyperbaric Oxygen, PLA Navy General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Yan-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hui-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xiang-En
authors.initials: XE
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Ming-Xin
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shu-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D014102:Torsion Abnormality / Q000150:complications; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D009195:Peroxidase; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase; D019255:NADPH Oxidases