Protective effects of sumatriptan on ischaemia/reperfusion injury following torsion/detorsion in ipsilateral and contralateral testes of rat

This study was planned to evaluate the effects of sumatriptan, 5-HT1B/1D receptors agonist, on ischaemia/reperfusion injury in bilateral testes after unilateral testicular torsion/detorsion in rats. Male Wistar rats (n = 42) were allocated into a sham-operated group, a control group and treatment groups which were injected sumatriptan (0.1, 0.3 and 1 mg/kg), GR-127935 (0.01 mg/kg)-5-HT1B/1D receptors antagonist-and sumatriptan (0.1 mg/kg) + GR-127935 (0.01 mg/kg). Torsion was induced for 1 hr by rotating right testis 720(0) in the clockwise direction, and after 7 days of detorsion, bilateral orchiectomy was conducted. While the level of TNF-alpha rose in testicular tissue after inducing torsion/detorsion, sumatriptan injection notably lowered TNF-alpha level in ipsilateral (torted) and contralateral (nontorted) testes (p < 0.001). Moreover, after inducing testicular torsion/detorsion, SOD activity was decreased, whereas administration of sumatriptan significantly increased SOD activity in bilateral testes (p < 0.001). After induction of torsion/detorsion, macroscopic and histological analyses also showed severe damages which were improved by sumatriptan injection. Interestingly, co-administration of sumatriptan with GR-127935 reversed the beneficial impacts of sumatriptan on macroscopic appearance, microscopic pattern and biochemical markers. It is concluded that sumatriptan presumably via stimulation of 5-HT1B/1D receptors decreased inflammation, oxidative stress and deteriorations induced by ischaemia/reperfusion injury following testicular torsion/detorsion.