Comparison of the protective effects of papaverine, lidocaine and verapamil on the sperm quality of the testis after induced torsion–detorsion in rats

Abstract

Objective. Spermatic cord torsion is a true urological emergency. Significant subfertility exists in patients following unilateral testicular torsion. Several studies have tested several agents such as vasodilators and antioxidants to inhibit or temper testicular damage. Material and methods. Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into five groups; in group 1 (control) no operation or drug injection was done. In groups 2–5 the left testis was subjected to 270 torsions. Two hours after induced torsion, drugs were injected intraperitoneally. Rats in group 2 received no drug, whereas those in groups 3, 4 and 5 were administered a single dose of papaverine (35 mg/kg), lidocaine (4 mg/kg) and verapamil (0.1 mg/kg), respectively. Thirty minutes after drug injection (2.5 h after torsion), testis detorsion was performed in all groups. The drug injections continued for 1 week. After 20 days, bilateral orchiectomy was carried out and semen from both testes was evaluated. Results. In animals treated with verapamil, left testis sperm count and the percentage of motile sperm were increased significantly in comparison with the sham-operated animals. Sperm morphology in all groups was in the normal range. Mean sperm count and motility in the right testes were not significantly different in different groups. Conclusions. Verapamil can induce beneficial effects on semen analysis parameters after testicular torsion in rats.

Key Words::

• Detorsion
• lidocaine
• papaverine
• rat
• sperm analysis
• testicular torsion
• verapamil.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.