Expression of Rho-kinase and heme oxygenase in the corpus cavernosum of spontaneous hypertensive rats / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of Rho-kinase and heme oxygenase and the interaction among NOS/NO, HO/CO and RhoA/Rho-kinase in the corpus cavernosum of spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A series of electric stimuli were applied to the corpus cavernosum nerves of 7 SHRs, the changes of ICP/MAP observed continuously and the expressions of ROCK2, HO-2 and eNOS analyzed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Another 7 WKY rats were taken as controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the controls, ICP/MAP did not rise obviously (P < 0.05), HO-2 dropped sharply (P = 0.006) and the expression of the ROCK2 protein was elevated markedly (P = 0.017) in the SHRs. Immunohistochemistry showed HO-2 to be distributed in the smooth muscle cells and nervous cells of the corpus cavernosum, and eNOS mainly in the vascular endothelial cells. The expressions of HO-2 and eNOS were obviously reduced in the SHRs.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>NOS/NO, HO/CO and RhoA/Rho-kinase are related with erectile dysfunction in SHRs and may interact on one another.</p>