ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of sildenafil citrate on testicular injury after testis torsion/detorsion (T/D) in rats. Forty adult male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four equal groups of ten rats each. Group 1 (Sham-operated); Group 2 (torsion for 2 hours and detorsion for 2 hours); Group 3, (torsion for 2 hours, sildenafil injection and detorsion for 2 hours), and Group 4 (sildenafil injection, torsion for 2 hours and detorsion for 2 hours).The levels of lipid peroxidation (P<0.001) and nitric oxide (P < 0.01) were significantly increased in in the testis of group 2 rats. Testicular reduced glutathione and serum inhibin B levels were decreased significantly (P<0.001) after T/D. Administration of sildenafil either before or after torsion prevented the increase in lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide, and alleviated glutathione and inhibin B levels. Sildenafil also prevented ischemia/reperfusion cellular damage and histological alterations in testicular tissue. These results suggest that treatment with sildenafil citrate 2 hours before or after torsion could induce protective effects against ischemia/reperfusion injury.