Effects of Icariin on Improving Erectile Function in Streptozotocin‐Induced Diabetic Rats

摘要: Introduction. Icariin has been shown to improve penile hemodynamics in animal models of erectile dysfunction from cavernous nerve injury and castration. The effects icariin on diabetic animals remain be determined. Transforming growth factor b1 (TGFb1) implicated the pathogenesis diabetes- related dysfunction. Aim. aim this study was investigate penis streptozotocin (STZ)-induced rat. Methods. Two-month-old Sprague-Dawley male rats received one-time intraperitoneal (IP) STZ (60 mg/kg) or vehicle injection after a 16-hour fast. Three days later, STZ-induced were randomly divided into four groups treated with daily gavage feedings 50:50 mix normal saline dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) dissolved DMSO at doses 1, 5, 10 mg/kg for 3 months. A positive control group underwent IP followed by saline/DMSO solution. Treatment stopped 1 week prior functional assay euthanasia. Main Outcome Measure. Penile assessed electrical stimulation nerves real-time intracavernous pressure (ICP) measurement. After euthanasia, tissue studied using immuno- histochemistry, Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assess nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) TGFb1/Smad2 signaling pathway. Results. Diabetes attenuated ICP response animals. Untreated had decreased smooth muscle/collagen ratio endothelial cell content corpora cavernosa; treatment partially attenu- ating these effects. Icariin-treated also significantly greater expression nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-positive markers, von Willebrand (vWF), platelet adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM). pathway down-regulated icariin-treated relative what observed negative Conclusion. preserved hemodynamics, muscle integrity, neu- ronal oxide synthase rats. Down-regulation might mediate effect. Liu T, Xin H, Li W-R, Zhou F, G-Y, Gong Y-Q, Gao Z-Z, Qin X-C, Cui W-S, Shindel AW, Z-C. Effects improving function streptozotocin-induced J Sex Med 2011;8:2761-2772.