Dose-dependent protective effects of theophylline on testicular endocrine function in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion injury
Frontiers in Pharmacology, cilt.17, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 17
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3389/fphar.2026.1814726
- Dergi Adı: Frontiers in Pharmacology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: ischemia-reperfusion injury, rat model, testicular torsion, testosterone, theophylline, TNF-alpha
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Introduction – Testicular torsion (TT) induces ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) damage, frequently resulting in inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and compromised spermatogenesis. This study investigated the potential therapeutic role of theophylline—a methylxanthine with established antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties—on testicular I/R outcomes in a rat model. Methods – Thirty-two pubertal Wistar–Albino rats were categorized into four cohorts (n=8 per group): Control, I/R, and I/R treated with either 10 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg theophylline. Results – While plasma biochemical markers (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), glutathione, myeloperoxidase, ischemia-modified albumin, inhibin B, caspase-3, and testosterone) and histopathological Johnsen tubular biopsy scores remained statistically comparable across groups, significant intergroup variations were observed in testicular tissue TNF-α (p = 0.017), testicular testosterone (p = 0.003), and Cosentino histopathological grades (p < 0.05).Although high-dose theophylline showed a downward trend in tissue TNF-α, this specific pairwise difference did not reach statistical significance. Discussion – These results indicate that while acute structural protection was limited within a 4-hour reperfusion window, high-dose theophylline demonstrates a promising capacity to preserve testicular testosterone levels and modulate local inflammatory markers. This suggests a dose-dependent supportive effect on Leydig cell function and endocrine recovery following ischemic insult.