Germ cell apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax following testicular torsion/detorsion in rats / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To investigate the relationship between germ cell apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in experimental torsed/detorsed testes of the adult male rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into torsion group (n = 15) and control group (n = 15) randomly. Animals were submitted to unilateral 720 testicular torsion, then detorsion were done in two hours. Three days later, the evidence of germ cell apoptosis was detected by the TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) technique. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by immunohistochemical method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the torsed testes, the apoptosis index of germ cell and Bax expression significantly increased compared with that in the control group (P < 0.01) while Bcl-2 expression obviously decreased (P < 0.01). The apoptotic cells were mostly pechytene spermatocytes and round spermatides.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The germ cell apoptosis is highly associated with expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in experimental testicular torsion. Bcl-2/Bax plays an important role in germ cell apoptosis.</p>