Apoptosis in testicular tissue of rats after vasectomy: evaluation of eNOS, iNOS immunoreactivities and the effects of ozone therapy.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate the changes in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and apoptotic index in rat testicular tissue, as well as serum and seminal plasma sex hormone levels after vasectomy, and the effect of ozone therapy (OT).


METHODS
Adult male Wistar rats were used (n=6 per group). Control (G1), sham for 4 weeks (G2) or 6 weeks (G3), orchiectomy at the 4(th) (G4) or 6(th) (G5) week after left vasectomy, orchiectomy at the 4(th) (G6) or 6(th) (G7) week after bilateral vasectomy, orchiectomy after 6 weeks OT following left (G8) or bilateral (G9) vasectomy, orchiectomy after 6 weeks OT (G10).


RESULTS
In the left testes, while there were increases in eNOS and iNOS immunoreactivity and apoptotic indexes in G4 and G5, no changes were observed in contralateral testis. These values increased in G6 and G7, while OT inhibited these parameters in the left testis of G8 and both testes of G9. Sex hormone levels did not show any changes after vasectomy and ozone therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
While OT was found to be protective against some parameters mentioned above under stress conditions, it seemed to cause some harmful effects when used in healthy conditions.
Department of Urology, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Serhan
S
Alpcan
Department of Urology, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Halil
H
Başar
Department of Pharmacology, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Tolga Reşat
TR
Aydos
Department of Pathology, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Oğuz
O
Kul
Department of Biochemistry, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Üçler
Ü
Kısa
Department of Urology, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
Murad Mehmet
MM
Başar
Apoptosis; eNOS; iNOS; ozone therapy; vasectomy