Effects of ozone therapy and taurine on ischemia/reperfusion-induced testicular injury in a rat testicular torsion model

Background/aim: To investigate the effect of ozone and/or taurine treatment comparatively on testicular damage due to ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury in an experimental torsion model in rats. Materials and methods: Adult Wistar rats with and without torsion/detorsion were used. In order to monitor the effect of ozone and/ or taurine treatment on testicular damage due to I/R injury, following histopathological investigation apoptotic indexes were scored by TUNEL method. Moreover, tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), caspase 3, caspase 8, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), and cytochrome C immunostainings were performed and the levels of malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, total sulfhydryl, and nitric oxide were determined in the testicular tissue. Results: Intraperitoneal ozone and/or taurine treatment prevented both histopathological damage and increase in the apoptotic index. Torsion did not exert an effect on the levels of TNFα and cytochrome C. Ozone and/or taurine treatment prevented increases in TNFR1, caspase 3, and caspase 8. The level of oxidative stress markers was unchanged. The increases in NO level and eNOS expression were prevented by ozone and/or taurine treatment in I/R groups. Conclusion: Using ozone therapy and/or taurine before reperfusion may be a solution for germ cell degeneration resulting from testicular torsion and related infertility.