Changes of morphology and erectile function of the cavernous tissues in spontaneously hypertensive rats / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the changes of morphology and erectile function of the cavernous tissues in spontaneously hypertensive rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Spontaneously hypertensive male rats (SHR) (n = 15) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) (n = 15) were studied for 20 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured weekly by the tail/cuff method. Erectile function was tested by injecting apomorphine (APO). The expression alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and collagen III was examined by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>SHR showed a higher systolic blood pressure (205.7 +/- 11.9 vs 114.3 +/- 10.2 mm Hg) and a lower erection frequency (0.6 +/- 0.5 vs 2.4 +/- 0.6). The expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and collagen III in the cavernous tissues in the SHR was significantly higher than in the WKY.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The erectile function of the penis is markedly affected by hypertension, and the pathological changes may be one of the most important mechanisms of decreased erectile function in SHR.</p>