Korean J Urol.  2009 Jul;50(7):704-710.

The Different Effects of Testicular Torsion on the Contralateral Testis between Pubertal and Adult Rats

• Jeong SJ
• Choi WS
• Ha SB
• Jeong MS
• Chung JS
• Baek M
• Hong SK
• Choi H

Abstract

PURPOSE
Our study aimed to determine whether the severity of damage to the contralateral testis by ipsilateral testicular torsion/detorsion in pubertal rats, which have an incomplete blood-testis barrier, is different from that in adult rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We divided pubertal (6 weeks, n=17) and adult (10 weeks, n=17) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats into group S (sham; n=5), group O (orchiectomy; n=6), and group D (detorsion; n=6). After 4 hours' torsion of the ipsilateral testis, we applied orchiectomy (group O) and detorsion (group D) depending on the group and compared the histopathologic changes and germ cell apoptosis of the contralateral testis at the age of 13 weeks. RESULTS: In each age group, increased interstitial area, edema, and germ cell sloughing were observed in group D. The mean seminiferous tubule diameter decreased more in group D than in group S or O in each age group (p<0.05). The mean germ cell layer thickness and number of spermatids per tubule decreased more in group D than in group S or O in each age group; additionally, in group D, values decreased more in pubertal rats than in adult ones (p<0.05, respectively). The mean numbers of terminal deoxyuridine nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells were less than 1.0 in groups S and O, which was smaller than in group D (p<0.05); additionally, in group D, this value tended to be higher in pubertal rats than in adult ones (p=0.057). CONCLUSIONS: SD rats with a detorsioned testis had more severe damage to the contralateral testis than did those undergoing orchiectomy of the torsioned testis. Also, when comparing the severity of damage to the contralateral testis after ipsilateral torsion/detorsion between pubertal and adult rats, rats at a pubertal age, when most testicular torsions occur in clinical situations, had more severe damage than did those at an adult age.

Keyword

Spermatic cord torsion; Age factors; Testis

MeSH Terms

Adult
Age Factors
Animals
Apoptosis
Blood-Testis Barrier
Deoxyuridine
Edema
Germ Cells
Humans
Orchiectomy
Rats
Seminiferous Tubules
Spermatic Cord Torsion
Spermatids
Testis
Deoxyuridine

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Histology of contralateral testes sectioned 7 weeks (A, pubertal rats) and 3 weeks (B, adult rats) after ipsilateral 4 hour 720o torsion (H&E, x400). Whereas there were no abnormalities in groups S and O, a dilated interstitial space, edema, and sloughing of germ cells were observed in group D. When compared within group D, mean germ cell layer thickness and number of spermatids per tubule decreased more in pubertal rats than in adult ones. S: sham group, O: orchiectomy group, D: detorsion group.

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  Fig. 2 Terminal deoxyuridine nick-end labeling (TUNEL) immunohistochemical staining of contralateral testes sectioned 7 weeks (A, pubertal rats) and 3 weeks (B, adult rats) after ipsilateral 4 hour 720o torsion (x400). Whereas there were few TUNEL-positive cells in groups S and O, some TUNEL-positive cells were observed in group D. When compared within group D, there was a tendency for more TUNEL-positive cells in pubertal rats than in adult ones. S: sham group, O: orchiectomy group, D: detorsion group.

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  Fig. 3 Mean seminiferous tubule diameter for contralateral testes of rats aged 13 weeks after unilateral testicular torsion/detorsion induced at pubertal (black) and adult (gray) ages. Each bar is Mean±SD. S: sham group, O: orchiectomy group, D: detorsion group, a: p=0.046 for pubertal age and 0.032 for adult age: significantly decreased compared with S and O group.

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  Fig. 5 Mean numbers of spermatids per tubule for contralateral testes of rats aged 13 weeks after unilateral testicular torsion/ detorsion induced at pubertal (black) and adult (gray) ages. Each bar is Mean±SD. S: sham group, O: orchiectomy group, D: detorsion group, a: p=0.010 for pubertal age and 0.009 for adult age: significantly decreased compared with S and O group, b: p=0.045: significantly different between pubertal and adult rats.

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  Fig. 4 Mean germ cell layer thickness for contralateral testes of rats aged 13 weeks after unilateral testicular torsion/detorsion induced at pubertal (black) and adult (gray) ages. Each bar is Mean±SD. S: sham group, O: orchiectomy group, D: detorsion group, a: p=0.008 for pubertal age and 0.043 for adult age: signi-b: p=0.038: ficantly decreased compared with S and O group, significantly different between pubertal and adult rats.

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  Fig. 6 Mean numbers of terminal deoxyuridine nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells per tubule for contralateral testes of rats aged 13 weeks after unilateral testicular torsion/detorsion induced at pubertal (black) and adult (gray) ages. Each bar is Mean±SD. a: S: sham group, O: orchiectomy group, D: detorsion group, p=0.014 for pubertal age and 0.011 for adult age: significantly b: p=0.057: different increased compared with S and O group, tendency between pubertal and adult rats.

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