title: Effects of Ghrelin on germ cell apoptosis and proinflammatory cytokines production in Ischemia-reperfusion of the rat testis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Testicular torsion is a medical emergency that requires surgical intervention to reperfuse the affected testis. Ischemia reperfusion injury is usually associated with proinflammatory cytokine generation and apoptosis of germ cells in the testes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study we investigate the effect of ghrelin on the proinflammatory cytokines levels and germ cell apoptosis in testicular ischemia reperfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  45 male rats were selected for the study and randomly divided into 3 groups, each containing 15 rats. Animals in the testicular torsion and ghrelin treated groups were subjected to unilateral 720 counterclockwise testicular torsion for 1 hr and then reperfusion was allowed after detorsion for 4 hr, 1 and 7 days. The ghrelin-treated group received intraperitoneal injection of ghrelin 15min before detorsion. The expression levels of bcl-2-associated X protein and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in testicular tissue in the different groups were detected by immunohistochemical assay and tissue cytokines interleukin-1β, tumor necroses factor-α and interleukin-6 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After being treated by ghrelin, the population of immunoreactive cells against BAX in the spermatocytes on day 7 after reperfusion significantly decreased when compared to tortion/ detortion-saline animals (p=0.024). In contrast, PCNA expression in the spermatocytes and spermatogonia were not significantly different between tortion/ detortion-ghrelin and tortion/ detortion-saline groups on both experimental days. Administration of ghrelin significantly attenuated the testicular tumor necroses factor-α and interleukin-6 levels compared with the untreated animals, but had no significant effect on the level of interleukin-1β.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ghrelin offers remarkable anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects in testicular ischemia reperfusion injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taati
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khoramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrnoush
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moghadasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dezfoulian
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Payman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Asadian
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zendehdel
keywords: Apoptosis; Ghrelin; Ischemia; Reperfusion; Testes