Abstract：
Testicular torsion (TT) is a urological condition that can result in infertility in men. The etiopathogenesis of TT includes ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) characterized by oxidative stress (OS), inflammation and apoptosis resulting from increased levels of free radicals. Usnic acid (UA), a dibenzofuran, is one of the most common metabolites found in lichens and is known to possess powerful antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential protective activity of UA in an experimental testicular IRI model for the first time. A total of 18 rats were randomly assigned to three groups (n=6): sham control, IRI and IRI+UA. The IRI groups underwent a four-hour period of ischemia and a two-hour period of reperfusion. The OS, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and apoptosis markers in testicular tissue were evaluated using colorimetric methods. Furthermore, tissue samples were subjected to histological examination, with staining using hematoxylin and eosin. Histopathological findings supported by increased OS, inflammation, ERS and apoptosis levels were obtained in IRI group compared with sham control group. However, UA treatment restored these pathological and biochemical changes. Although this study provides the first preliminary evidence that UA may be used as a useful molecule against testicular IRI, further extensive molecular preclinical studies should be performed before clinical use is considered.
摘要：
睾丸扭转（TT）是一种泌尿系统疾病，可导致男性不育。TT的病因包括以氧化应激(OS)为特征的缺血/再灌注损伤(IRI),由自由基水平增加引起的炎症和细胞凋亡。Usnicacid(UA),一种二苯并呋喃,是地衣中最常见的代谢产物之一，已知具有强大的抗氧化特性。这项研究的目的是首次研究UA在实验性睾丸IRI模型中的潜在保护活性。将18只大鼠随机分为三组(n=6):假手术对照组,IRI和IRI+UA。IRI组经历了4小时的缺血期和2小时的再灌注期。OS,炎症,使用比色法评估睾丸组织中的内质网应激(ERS)和凋亡标志物.此外，组织样本进行组织学检查，用苏木精和伊红染色。OS增加支持的组织病理学发现，炎症,与假对照组相比，IRI组获得了ERS和凋亡水平。然而,UA治疗恢复了这些病理和生化改变。虽然这项研究提供了第一个初步证据，表明UA可以用作抗睾丸IRI的有用分子，在考虑临床应用前,应进行进一步广泛的分子临床前研究.
