Preservation of Testicular Tissue and Alleviation of Oxidative Stress by Carvacrol Following Torsion/Detorsion in Adult Male Rats

Testicular torsion is a critical medical condition necessitating prompt diagnosis and intervention. This study aimed to explore the potential safeguarding effect of carvacrol against histological damage and oxidative stress resulting from torsion/detorsion (T/D) in rat testes.

A total of 32 adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups. The sham group did not undergo any intervention. The second group received an intraperitoneal injection of 75 mg/kg carvacrol half an hour before detorsion application. The third group was administered 80 mg/kg carvacrol intraperitoneally without detorsion. The fourth group (control) experienced (T/D) through the administration of saline. Following a 5-hour reperfusion period, the left testis was excised for histological slide preparation. Blood serum was used to measure antioxidant enzyme levels. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS version 19 software and analysis of variance tests.

Significant histological alterations were observed between the sham and other three groups. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and testosterone significantly decreased in all treatment groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conversely, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased in the torsion control group in contrast to the sham group (P<0.05). Carvacrol administration mitigated MDA levels in the treatment groups. Also, there were significant differences in tissue parameters between the sham and the other groups (P<0.05).

According to the results of this study, carvacrol possesses the potential to mitigate testicular tissue damage, enhance testicular function, and ameliorate oxidative stress consequential to testicular rotation.