ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the different effects of Shengmai injection on testicular injury after testis torsion/detorsion in rats of different ages.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixteen healthy male SD rats aged 3, 6 and 12 weeks were equally randomized into an experimental group (testicular torsion/detorsion plus Shengmai injection) and a control group (testicular torsion/detorsion plus saline). The rat models of testicular torsion were killed 24 h after surgery for the measurement of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the testis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the controls, the 3- and 6-week-old rats of the experimental group showed no significant changes in T-AOC, SOD activity and MDA content (P > 0.05), while the 12-week-old experimental rats exhibited a remarkable increase in SOD and T-AOC and an obvious decrease in MDA content (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Shengmai injection has a protective effect against acute ischemia-reperfusion testicular injury after torsion/detorsion in rats, but the effect varies with the age, more obvious in older ones.</p>