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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
Murine Model of Intestinal Ischemia-reperfusion Injury
Published on: May 11, 2016
Orchiectomy or testosterone receptor blockade reduces intestinal mucosal damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion insult
Bülent Akçora1, Enes Altuğ, Tünay Kontaş
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, School of Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey. bakcora@hotmail.com
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether orchiectomy or administration of flutamide an antagonist of the testosterone receptor can reduce oxidative stress and histologic damage in the rat small bowel subjected to mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. A total of 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 was control (sham), group 2 was I/R, group 3 was I/R plus orchiectomy (orchiectomy was performed 14 days before I/R), group 4 was I/R plus flutamide (flutamide was given throughout 14 days before mesenteric IR). Rats were subjected to 45 min of mesenteric ischemia followed by 3 h of reperfusion. The levels of ileal malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) were found to be significantly lower in orchiectomy and flutamide treatment groups compared with I/R group (P < 0.05). The histopathological injury scores were consistent with the MDA and NO levels. These results suggest that castration or testosterone receptor blockade decreases the level of intestinal I/R injury in male rats and it is an another example for disease variations based on gender differences.
Insights
Castration or flutamide reduces oxidative stress and intestinal damage in male rats following mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. This suggests testosterone blockade may protect against I/R-induced gastrointestinal injury.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Physiology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury causes significant oxidative stress and tissue damage in the small intestine.
- Testosterone's role in mediating I/R injury is not fully understood, particularly concerning gender-specific responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effects of orchiectomy (surgical castration) and flutamide (testosterone receptor antagonist) against mesenteric I/R injury in male rats.
- To determine if reducing testosterone signaling mitigates oxidative stress and histological damage in the rat small bowel.
Main Methods:
- Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent orchiectomy or flutamide administration for 14 days prior to inducing 45 minutes of mesenteric ischemia followed by 3 hours of reperfusion.
- Control and I/R-only groups were included for comparison.
- Levels of ileal malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) were measured, along with histopathological injury scores.
Main Results:
- Orchiectomy and flutamide treatments significantly reduced ileal MDA and NO levels compared to the I/R group (P < 0.05).
- Histopathological injury scores correlated with MDA and NO levels, indicating reduced tissue damage in treated groups.
- These findings demonstrate a protective effect of testosterone blockade against I/R injury.
Conclusions:
- Testosterone receptor blockade, via orchiectomy or flutamide, attenuates oxidative stress and histological damage in the rat small intestine following mesenteric I/R.
- These results highlight potential gender-based differences in I/R injury susceptibility and suggest therapeutic avenues targeting the androgen pathway.
