title: Evaluation of cold ischemia for preservation of testicular function during partial orchiectomy in the rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesized that cold ischemia during partial orchiectomy would lead to higher serum testosterone levels and preservation of testicular architecture than warm ischemia in a prepubescent rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen prepubescent male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to three different surgical groups: sham surgery, bilateral partial orchiectomy with 30 min of cord compression with cold ischemia, or bilateral partial orchiectomy with 30 min of cord compression with warm ischemia. Animals were killed at puberty, and serum, sperm, and testicles were collected. Histological tissue injury was graded by standardized methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean serum testosterone levels were 1445 ± 590 pg/mL for the sham group, 449 ± 268 pg/mL for the cold ischemia group and 879 ± 631 pg/mL for the warm ischemia group (p = 0.12). Mean sperm counts were 2.1 × 10(7) for sham, 4.4 × 10(6) for cold ischemia, and 9.9 × 10(6) for the warm ischemia groups (p = 0.48). Histological evaluation revealed significant difference in tissue injury grading with more injury in the cold ischemia than in the warm ischemia group (p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our preclinical rat model, we found no benefit for cold ischemia over warm ischemia at 30 min.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: erin.mcnamara@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Erin R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: McNamara
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Ramiro J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Madden-Fuentes
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Routh
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Laboratory Resources, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rouse
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Madden
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wiener
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Harry G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Rushton
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Sherry S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050377:Cold Ischemia; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013076:Sperm Count; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D052096:Warm Ischemia
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone
keywords: Ischemia; Orchiectomy; Rats; Testes; Testicular neoplasm