Biebersteinia multifida DC a potential savior against testicular torsion-induced reperfusion injury

The study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effect of the methanolic extract of Biebersteinia multifida DC on ischemia–reperfusion injury induced by testicular torsion/detorsion in rats. Forty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. Sham operation group, torsion/detorsion group plus saline, and torsion/detorsion groups plus 75 and 150 mg/kg doses of DC extract (administered intraperitoneally 15 min before detorsion). Testicular ischemia was induced via keeping the left testis under 720° counterclockwise torsion for 2 h; afterwards, detorsion was performed. All rats were sacrificed 4 h after detorsion and bilateral testes were removed for histological examinations. The testes in sham operation group had normal structure. Contralateral testicular tissue had mild injury in torsion/detorsion (T/D) group, while it was approximately normal in DC-treated group. In the T/D group, most of the testes demonstrated severe lesions in ipsilateral testes. In contrast, ipsilateral twisted testicular tissue in DC-treated group showed mild to moderate injuries. Similar histopathological results were obtained in both utilized therapeutic doses of DC (75 and 150 mg/kg). B. multifida is a rich source of phenolic antioxidant components that can be potentially used as a free radical scavenger in testicular damages caused by reperfusion injury, although more detailed studies are warranted.