Short- and long-term effects of rapamycin on ischemic damage and apoptotic changes in torsion of rat testes

Rapamycin has antioxidant defense mechanisms and immune suppressive effects. To detect the short- and long-term effects of rapamycin on ischemic damage and apoptotic changes in torsion of rat testes, mature male albino Wistar rats ( n = 48) were included in the study as control, sham, early torsion-detorsion (T/D), early rapamycin treatment, early rapamycin control, late T/D, late rapamycin treatment, and late rapamycin control. The right testis was rotated 720° in a clockwise direction during 4 h in operation groups. Rapamycin was administered orally three times: 30 min before detorsion and 24 and 48 h after detorsion. The animals were killed on the third day in early groups and on the tenth day in late groups after detorsion. Statistically significant differences among all groups were detected for SOD and TBARS, mean seminiferous tubule diameter (MSTD) and Cosentino’s histologic score (CHS), caspase 3, bax, average number of apoptotic cells per tubule (ANPCT), and percentage of apoptotic tubule (PAT) values. ANPCT values ​​were 10% lower in the rapamycin treatment groups compared with the untreated T/D groups, and the PAT values ​​were also approximately 1.3 times lower. Although short-term usage of rapamycin may reduce to the tubular injury caused by I/R conversely to apoptosis in the testicular tissue after testicular torsion, rapamycin may have the potential to increase the long-term apoptosis with/without testicular torsion and a subsequent regression in fertility.