Expression Of Fas And FasL In The Contralateral Testis After The Unilateral Testicular Torsion In SD Rat At Puberty

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relation between the expression of Fas/FasL and spermatogenesis in the contralateral testis after unilateral testicular torsion in puberty Sprague-Dawley rat. METHODS: Puberty male rats were subjected to unilateral 720°testicular torsion for 24 hours.then various forms of treatment were taken. The frist group (A group )comprised control animals. In the second group ( B group )the left testes were twisted 720 degrees and the right testes were removed 1 month later for histopathological examination. While in the third group ( C group )Methylprednisolone treatment was added to the above procedure. The fourth group ( D group )consisted of rats which had undergone left orchiectomy 24 hours after torsion and the fifth group ( E group )had Methylprednisolone treatment plus orchiectomy after torsion.Methylprednisolone treatment was started 24 hours after testicular torsion and continued for 4 weeks. 4 weeks later, the contralateral testes were collected for histopathological examination. Expression of Fas and FasL was performed by immunohistochemistry.Using a computer pathological image analysis system carries out the quantitative analysis of Fas and FasL. Each animal was evaluated with regard to endocrine parameters (follicle-stimulating hormone , luteinizing hormone and testosterone) by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Histopathologicalexamination of the contralateral testes showed that either orchiectomy or orchiectomy plus Methylprednisolone was more successful than no treatment. Fas/FasL protein in both control group and 4 experimental groups were expressed. B group showed more expression of Fas and FasL than the other groups. Follicle-stimulating hormone( FSH ), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone ( T) were normal in all cases. CONCLUSION: Unilateral testicular torsion in puberty Sprague-Dawley rat may result in higher expression of Fas and Fas-L ,and further germ cell apoptosis and sub fertility. Methylprednisolone may decrease expression of FAS and FASL and maintain spermatogenesis in the contralateral testis after the unilateral testicular torsion.