Effects of infliximab on testicular torsion/detorsion injury in rats

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether infliximab (INF), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) monoclonal antibody, has a protective effect on experimental testiküler torsiyon/detorsiyon (TT/D) injury and whether apoptotic pathways contribute to this possible effect. Materials and Methods: 42 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three equal main groups: Sham, torsion/detorsion (T/D), and INF+T/D. Each group was then divided into two subgroups with detorsion periods of 24 hours (n =7) and 65 days (n=7). The right testes of anesthetized rats were rotated 720° clockwise for 3 hours to induce torsion. INF (ip, 5 mg/kg) was administered to the rats in the INF+T/D group 10 minutes before detorsion, while saline was administered to the rats in the other groups. At 24 hours after detorsion, the histopathological injury was evaluated by Johnsen scoring and caspase activities by immunohistochemical staining. Results: Mean testis and cauda epididymis weights, sperm count, and Johnsen score were significantly lower in the T/D group than in the sham group. In addition, marked immunostaining of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 was observed in spermatocytes and spermatids in the T/D group. INF administration did not prevent a decrease in testicular (0.80±0.132) and epididymal (0.121±0.247) weights, sperm count (2.0 ± 1.67 x106), or Johnsen score (8.70 ± 0.594). for caspases in spermatogenic cells. Conclusion: In TT/D injury, INF treatment did not reduce apoptosis and testicular atrophy and did not increase sperm count. TNF-α blockage did not show a protective effect on rat TT/D injury.