Effects of Different Application Routes of Ozone on Testicular Tissue in Rats with Spinal Cord Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury.

Background: Spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a serious condition that can develop after spinal and thoracoabdominal surgeries or spinal cord traumas. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different administration routes of ozone on testicular tissue in rats with spinal cord ischemia and reperfusion injury.

Methods: Rats were divided into five groups (n:5): control (C), ischemia-reperfusion (IR), IR-rectal ozone (IR+RO), IR-intratechal ozone (IR+ITO), and IR-intraperitoneal (i.p) ozone (IR+IPO). Ozone-oxygen mixture was administered 30 minutes before midline laparotomy: 1 mg/kg (50 µg/mL) by rectal insufflation to the IR+RO group, 20 µL (20 µg/mL) intratechally to the IR+ITO group, and 0.7 µg/kg (50 µg/mL) intraperitoneally to the IR+IPO group. The spinal cord IR model was established. The testicular tissue was collected for histopathological and biochemical analyses.

Results: The Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activities were significantly lower in the IR+RO, IR+ITO, and IR+IPO groups than in the IR group. Catalase (CAT) was significantly higher in the IR+ITO and IR+IPO groups than in the IR group. While the Cosentino score was significantly higher in the IR group than in the C group (p<0.001), it was significantly lower in the IR+RO, IR+ITO and IR+IPO groups than in the IR group (p<0.001, all).

Conclusion: Ozone can regulate the negative effects of IRI by regulating cellular oxidative stress mechanisms. This effect can be achieved most effectively on testis tissue in the spinal cord IRI model through intrathecal and intraperitoneal administration.