Resveratrol reduces ischemia reperfusion injury after experimental testicular torsion

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of resveratrol on testicular ischemia reperfusion injury. Forty Wistar albino rats were divided into 4 groups. Torsions (ischemia) were created by rotating the right testis 720 degrees in a clockwise direction for 4 hours in all groups except the control group. In the torsion group after 4 hours' ischemia bilateral orchiectomy was performed. In the detorsion group, saline was injected by an intraperitoneal route, 30 min before detorsion (reperfusion). In the resveratrol group, 30 mg/kg resveratrol was injected by an intraperitoneal route, 30 min before detorsion. In the detorsion and resveratrol groups, the bilateral testes were removed after 20 hours of detorsion. In all groups, the tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) and histological changes were determined. In rats treated with resveratrol, MDA levels (138 +/- 25 nmol/mg protein) were significantly decreased compared with torsion (426 +/- 178 nmol/mg protein) and detorsion (370 +/- 76 nmol/mg protein) groups (p < 0.05). GSH levels (6.54 +/- 0.8 micromol/g wet tissue) were significantly increased compared with torsion (4.61 +/- 0.4 micromol/g wet tissue) and detorsion groups (5.24 +/- 0.9 micromol/g wet tissue) (p < 0.05). The mean testicular tissue injury score in the resveratrol group was significantly lower than in torsion and detorsion groups (p < 0.05). The present study demonstrates that intraperitoneal administration of resveratrol in rats may protect testis against injury associated with reperfusion.