The effect of acute cold ischemia duration on testicular tissue.

PURPOSE: Testicular cancer primarily affects men aged 15–34. Partial orchiectomy has recently emerged as a viable testis-sparing surgical technique. However, prolonged spermatic cord clamping may induce ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury due to elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This study aimed to determine the maximum tolerable duration of testicular cold ischemia under hypothermic conditions and to evaluate its impact on ischemia–reperfusion injury in a rat model. MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Thirty sexually mature Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. Following scrotal incision and testicular cooling with ice (2–4 °C), Group I (Sham, n = 6) underwent orchiectomy. Groups II, III, and IV (n = 8 each) were subjected to 10, 20, and 30 min of ischemia, respectively, followed by 1-hour reperfusion. Biochemical parameters (TNF-α, IL-6, TAS, TOS, OSI) and histopathological evaluations, including Johnsen scoring, were conducted.

RESULTS

Inflammatory markers and oxidative stress indices increased progressively with longer ischemia durations, whereas antioxidant capacity and Johnsen scores declined in a time-dependent manner. Marked biochemical and histological deterioration became evident beyond 20 min of cold ischemia, with the most severe alterations observed in the 30-minute group.

CONCLUSION

In this acute rat model, cold ischemia durations beyond 20 min were associated with more pronounced early inflammatory, oxidative, and histological alterations despite hypothermic cooling. These findings suggest that limiting the duration of cold ischemia may be critical for preserving testicular tissue integrity, although confirmation in longer-term and clinically relevant models is required.