Testis torsion is a surgical emergency that lead to permanent gonad damage. The damage has been ascribed to mechanisms of
ischemia-reperfusion similar to other tissues. The mechanisms involved are different, but the lipid peroxidation of plasma membrane, caused by
reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated particularly during reperfusion, is one of the most accredited. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of
raxofelast, a
vitamin E-like
antioxidant with potent action and no systemic toxicity, on lipid peroxidation and histopathology in both testes after unilateral
testicular torsion and detorsion. Adult male Wistar rats were subjected to total occlusion (3 h) of the left testis followed by 4 hours of reperfusion (TI/R).
Sham testicular
ischemia-reperfusion rats (
SHAM TI/R) were used as controls. The animals were then randomized to receive either vehicle (1 ml/kg/i.p. of a dimetylsulphoxide/NaCl 0.9% 1:10 v/v
solution, injected either 15 min before detorsion and 15 min after detorsion) or
raxofelast (20 mg/kg i.p. 15 min before detorsion and 15 min after detorsion). Conjugated dienes (CD) levels, an index of lipid peroxidation, and testis histopathology were evaluated. Testicular
ischemia reperfusion (TI/R) in untreated rats produced high testicular levels of CD (3.6+/-0.3 DeltaABS/
g protein on the left side and 2.5+/-0.2 DeltaABS/
g protein on the right side). Furthermore, histological examination revealed marked damage to the testis interstitium with severe haemorrhage and
edema. The administration of
raxofelast lowered CD levels (2.8+/-0.2 DeltaABS/
g protein on the left side and 1.9+/-0.1 DeltaABS/
g protein in the right side) and significantly reduced histological damage. These data suggest that the hydrophilic
vitamin E-like
antioxidants are good candidates for designing a novel therapeutic strategy to halt the oxidative stress that follows acute testis torsion.