Pomegranate (Punica granatum) juice reduces oxidative injury and improves sperm concentration in a rat model of testicular torsion-detorsion

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of pomegranate juice (PJ) on oxidative stress (OS) and sperm concentration in a rat model of testicular torsion-detorsion. A total of 21 Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups, each consisting of seven rats, as follows: i) control group, which underwent sham surgery; ii) ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) group, designed to determine the effects of the testicular torsion-detorsion process on rats; and iii) PJ+I/R group, designed to evaluate the effect of PJ on the OS and sperm cell concentrations induced by the torsion-detorsion process. In the PJ+I/R group, the rats were given 0.4 ml/day PJ orally over a period of eight weeks prior to surgery. Ipsilateral orchiectomy was carried out and 5-cm 3 blood samples were obtained from the inferior vena cava of all rats. Biochemical analyses were performed to calculate the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the testicular tissue and serum. The concentrations of spermatids, spermatocytes and spermatogonia in the seminiferous tubules were assessed using histopathological methods. Serum and tissue SOD and MDA levels were significantly higher in rats from the I/R group compared with the control group (P<0.001). PJ treatment significantly decreased the SOD and MDA levels in both the serum and testicular tissue of the rats (P<0.001). The spermatid, spermatocyte and spermatogonia concentrations were significantly reduced in the I/R group compared with the control group (P<0.001). PJ treatment significantly improved the concentrations of spermatids, spermatocytes and spermatogonia compared with those in the I/R group (P=0.008). The experimentally established testicular torsion-detorsion model led to OS in the rat testes. Daily consumption of PJ prior to surgery reduced OS parameters and improved sperm cell concentrations.