Effect Of Allopurinol On Germ Cell Apoptosis Following Testicular Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury In A Rat

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 02 Jul 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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ORLANDO, FL (UroToday.com) - It is recognized that apoptosis is involved in germ cell loss following testicular ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury.

Allopurinol is as a free radical scavenger which prevents tissue damage caused by reperfusion and oxygenation after ischemia. The authors have investigated the ability of allopurinol to effect testicular injury after torsion. Testicular ischemia in rats led to histological damage in the ipsilateral testis. In the contralateral testis minimal damage was observed. Treatment with allopurinol increased significantly Johnsen's score in both the ischemic and contralateral testis, compared to IR-animals. Germ cell apoptosis in both the ischemic and the contralateral testis increased significantly after IR. Treatment with allopurinol resulted in a significant decrease in germ cell apoptosis in the ipsilateral as well as a significant decrease in germ cell apoptosis in the contralateral testis.

Conclusions: In a rat model of testicular IR, treatment with allopurinol decreases germ cell apoptosis in both ischemic and contralateral testes and improves spermatogenesis.

Editorial Comment: Clearly any treatment that results in testicular preservation after torsion is of great interest. This study would appear to indicate that allopurinol has such an effect. However, it should be noted that animals in this experimental model were pretreated with allopurinol before the ischemic insult. Would the same effect be observed after ischemia had been initiated?

Presented by Gil Meyer, MD, Igor Sukhotnik, MD, Jorge G Mogilner, MD, Boaz Moskovitz, MD, and Ofer Nativ, MD, at the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) - May 17 - 22, 2008. Orange County Convention Center - Orlando, Florida, USA.

Reported by UroToday.com Contributing Editor Harris M. Nagler, MD

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