The effect of zinc therapy on damaged testis in pre-pubertal rats

This experimental study was instituted to evaluate whether or not there is an effect of zinc aspartate administration on injured testes. Sixty prepubertal male Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 180-240 g) were divided into six equal groups each containing ten rats. Group I was the control group. Rats in group II and group III which were blunt testicular trauma groups were subjected to right blunt testicular trauma to rupture the tunica albuginea. Just after this, animals in group III were given 30 mg/kg zinc aspartate intraperitoneally, and this treatment was continued for 30 days at a dose of 10 mg/kg per day. Animals in group IV and group V which were thermal injury groups were subjected to right thermal testicular injury with injection of boiling normal saline. After that, animals in group V were also treated with zinc aspartate as described in group III. Group VI was used as a sham group. After 30 days, both testes were removed and examined. Damage in ipsilateral testes was evaluated with histological scoring methods. Contralateral testes were evaluated with measurement of tubular diameter and percentage of spermatogenesis histologically. Ipsilateral testes from non-treated groups had much greater histological injury than treated groups ( p>0.05). Additionally, contralateral testes had no evidence of injury. As a consequence, after acute testicular injury that takes form in a variety of ways, immediate administration of zinc aspartate and its continuation for some period may prevent the progression of the injury and improves the healing process.