Abstract:

Objective To explore the mechanism of unilateral testicular torsion and detorsion on injury of contralateral testes injury with contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Methods Fifteen male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into control group, torsion group, and torsion and detorsion group, with 5 rabbits in each group. Contralateral testis samples were obtained after three times of real-time ultrasound visualization in each group, and parameters of timeintensity curves, pathological changes and biochemical parameters of contralateral testes were analysed. Results ①The perfusion intensity of contralateral testes increased immediately after unilateral testicular torsion, and were characterised by the increase of enhancing intensity (EI)(P<0.05). ②The perfusion time of contralateral testes significantly increased after detorsion, and mainly presented as increased washout time (WT)(P<0.05). ③Apoptotic indexes (AI) of reproductive cells significantly increased after torsion or detorsion (P<0.05), and AI after detorsion were significantly higher than those after torsion (P<0.01). ④Both torsion and detorsion decreased content of nitrogen monoxidum (NO), activity of nitricoxide synthase (NOS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and increased content of malondialdehyde (MDA), and were more significant after detorsion (P<0.01). Conclusion The injury of contralateral testes with unilateral testicular torsion may results from ischemia-reperfusion injury factors of ipsilateral testes and blood perfusion enhancement of contralateral testes together.

Key words: ultrasonography, testicular torsion, ischemia-reperfusion, rabbit