ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Testicular torsion is a medical emergency, especially in male neonates and adolescents. It is a common clinical outcome and a significant urological issue. From the literature, it is evident that the use of antioxidants in the prevention of testicular reperfusion injury following detorsion is conflicting. This study was conducted to investigate the role of vitamin E in testicular reperfusion injury following detorsion. METHODS: Male Wistar albino rats were divided into Groups I, II, III and IV. Only Group IV rats were pre-treated with vitamin E 100 mg/kg body weight for 30 days. Ischaemia was induced manually by rotating the rat testis to 720 degrees clockwise and counter rotating for reperfusion. The testes were fixed in Bouin's fluid and processed for histopathological examination. RESULTS: A significant decrease in the standard tubular diameter and epithelial height was observed in Group III rats compared to those in Groups I and II. However, the seminiferous tubules in Group IV rats showed recovery in the standard tubular diameter and epithelial height when compared with the untreated control groups. CONCLUSION: The results showed that vitamin E, when administered before torsion of the spermatic cord in rats, provided significant protection against acute testicular torsion and detorsion injury.