UROLOGY - ORIGINAL PAPER Rosuvastatin protects tissue perfusion in the experimental testicular torsion model Erdal Karakaya Æ Og ˘uz Ates ¸ Æ Feza M. Akgu ¨r Æ Mustafa Olguner Received: 19 June 2009 / Accepted: 10 August 2009 / Published online: 25 August 2009 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, B.V. 2009 Abstract Recently, anti-inflammatory and tissue protective effects of statins have been shown inde- pendent from its anti-hyperlipidemic effect. It has been shown that one of the statins, rosuvastatin, may reduce ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced tissue injury in the brain, intestines, and heart. We planned an experimental study to evaluate the effect of rosuvastatin on I/R injury encountered after the detorsion of the testicular torsion. Rats were divided into three groups. In group 1, testis basal blood flow (basal value) was measured with LASER Doppler flowmeter (LDF). Testis was relocated into the scrotum without torsion. Two and 3 h after the basal measurement, testis was brought out from the same incision, and the second (second value) and third (third value) testicular blood flow measurements were done, respectively. In group 2, after the measurement of basal value testicular torsion was created. Second and third value measurements were obtained with LDF at the end of the 2 h of testicular torsion just before the detorsion and 1 h after detorsion. In group 3, same procedures in torsion/detorsion group were repeated in this group, but 10 mg/kg rosuvastatin was injected intraperitoneally 30 min before detorsion. Second values in groups 2 and 3 were significantly lower than group 1. Third values were significantly low in group 2 compared to groups 1 and 3. Regarding the third measurement, there was no significant difference between the groups 1 and 3. Tissue injury is closely related with condition of microvascular perfusion after I/R. Rosuvastatin can protect tissue perfusion in the experimental testicular torsion model. Keywords Rosuvastatin Á Testis torsion Á Ischemia Introduction The tissue injury continues after the restoration of blood flow in testicular torsion. The reperfusion injury is held responsible from this ongoing tissue injury [1]. Free oxygen radicals may cause reperfu- sion injury [2]. Hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anions, and hydroxyl radicals are the most important oxygen radicals that cause reperfusion injury. Free oxygen radicals activate proinflammatory cytokins and leucocytes that adhere to the capillary endothelium. The leucocytes plug and obstruct the capillary lumen and disrupt capillary perfusion per- manently. This process is called as no-reflow phe- nomenon [2]. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) causes direct tissue injury via free oxygen radicals and indirect tissue injury via no-reflow phenomenon. E. Karakaya Á O. Ates ¸ Á F. M. Akgu ¨r Á M. Olguner (&) Department of Pediatric Surgery, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylu ¨l University, Balc ¸ova, Izmir, Turkey e-mail: mustafa.olguner@deu.edu.tr 123 Int Urol Nephrol (2010) 42:357–360 DOI 10.1007/s11255-009-9633-y