Protective Effect of Fasudil on Testicular Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury to the testis can lead to organ damage, infertility, and subfertility. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of fasudil on this devastating condition. Methods: Thirty male Long-Evans rats were divided into five groups: a control group (no torsion), rats administered fasudil (30 mg/ kg, no torsion), rats subject to ischemia with no treatment (I) (I/R injury), injured rats that received treatment 1 (T1) (I/R with 30 mg/ kg fasudil before detorsion), and injured rats that received treatment 2 (T2) (I/R with 30 mg/kg fasudil after detorsion). Serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6, along with tissue levels of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), caspase-3, and Johnsen Tubular Biopsy Score (JTBS), were measured. Results: Group I exhibited significantly higher levels of MDA and caspase-3 than all other groups except T2 (p < 0.05). Although the difference was not statistically significant, Group T2 exhibited lower MDA and caspase-3 levels than Group I (p > 0.05). Additionally, Group I displayed significantly higher TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels, and lower GSH and JTBS values, than the other groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that fasudil protects the testis from I/R injury, particularly when administered early. Keywords: fasudil, testis, ischemia/reperfusion