Western blot analysis of Bax (A and B) and Bcl-2 (C and D) in samples of both ipsilateral (A and C) and contralateral (B and D) testes of rats undergone ischemia and reperfusion and ip treated with vehicle (1 ml/kg of a 0.9% NaCl solution) or NDP-α-MSH (340 μg/kg) immediately after reperfusion. A group of animals was pretreated with the nicotinic receptor antagonist chlorisondamine (0.25 mg/kg sc), and another with the selective MC4 receptor antagonist HS024 (130 μg/kg ip), 2 min before induction of ischemia. Bars represent mean values ± sd of seven animals. *, P < 0.005 vs. sham + vehicle; **, P < 0.005 vs. TI/R + vehicle; #, P < 0.005 vs. TI/R + NDP-α-MSH.