title: Effectiveness of lycopene on experimental testicular torsion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to demonstrate the long term effectiveness of lycopene, a precursor of vitamin A, on the testes for ischemia-reperfusion injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy male Wistar albino rats were used for this experiment. The rats were divided into seven groups. Group 1 served as the control group; group 2 was sham-operated; group 3 received 20mg/kg/day lycopene (intraperitoneally); in group 4, the right testes of rats were kept torted for 2hours and then were detorted and the animals lived for three days; in group 5, the right testes of rats were kept torted for 2hours and then were detorted and the animals lived for ten days; in group 6, the right testes of the rats were kept torted for 2hours and then detorted and the animals received 20mg/kg/day lycopene (intraperitoneally) for three days; in group 7, the right testes of the rats were kept torted for 2hours and then were detorted and the animals received 20mg/kg/day lycopene (intraperitoneally) for ten days. Lycopene was used intraperitoneally. Some of the testes tissues were used for biochemical analyses and the other tissues were used for histological procedures. The Johnsen's score was used for seminiferous tubule deterioration. The TUNEL method was utilized to show apoptosis of testicular tissue. Testosterone levels were measured from blood samples and SOD, MDA, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 measurements were recorded from tissue samples. The results were analyzed statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In groups 1, 2 and 3 there was normal testicular structure. Rats in groups 4 and 5 had damaged testicular tissues. In groups 6 and 7, in which we used lycopene, the testes were not better than those in groups 4 and 5. The MSTD and JTBS values were better in group 6, but not in group 7 among the torsion groups. As a result, MDA, SOD, TNF-α and IL-1β were increased and serum testosterone and IL-6 levels were decreased in groups 4 and 5 compared to group 1. There was no improvement in the groups treated with lycopene for therapeutic purposes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was shown that lycopene, as an antioxidant agent, is not effective for testicular torsion in the long term. This study can be considered as a preliminary study showing the need for further researches using different antioxidant agents to determine their long term effects in ischemia-reperfusion injuries in an appropriate experimental design.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. Electronic address: drmahmutguzel@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Güzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Fatih
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sönmez
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baştuğ
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Necip Fazıl
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Aras
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşe Betül
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Öztürk
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Küçükaydın
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cüneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D002338:Carotenoids; D000077276:Lycopene
keywords: Antioxidant; Ischemia-reperfusion; Lycopene; Testis; Torsion