Twisting of the spermatic cord: ischemia and reperfusion, toxicogenetic evaluation, and the effects of phosphatidylcholine in pre-clinical trials.

Phosphatidylcholine is the main phospholipid present in cell membranes and in lipoproteins, and can interfere with various biological processes. This lipid also has antioxidant activity, and protects against damage caused by free radicals under conditions of ischemia/reperfusion. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate toxicogenetic damage caused by twisting of the spermatic cord in ischemia/reperfusion, and whether phosphatidylcholine plays a role in conditions of ischemia/reperfusion in preclinical trials. The results indicate that spermatic cord torsion does not cause genotoxic damage or mutagenesis. A dose of 300 mg/kg of phosphatidylcholine is toxic and is thus not recommended. However, a dose of 150 mg/kg does not promote toxicogenetic damage, and though it does not statistically prevent tissue damage occurring from lack of oxygenation and nutrition of testicular cells, it has a tendency to reduce this damage. Therefore, this research suggests that further studies should be conducted to clarify this tendency and to provide a better explanation of the possible therapeutic effects of phosphatidylcholine in cytoprotection of germ cells affected by ischemia/reperfusion.