[Therapeutic effect of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor on pathological changes of tunica albuginea in erectile...

To investigate the pathological changes of tunica albuginea in erectile dysfunction (ED), the role of tunica albuginea in penis erection, and the therapeutic effect of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5I) on ED.

Thirty 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: (1) control group fed with normal diet for 16 weeks, (2) high-fat group fed with the diet containing 2% cholesterol and 10% pork fat, and (3) Tadalafil group fed with high-fat diet for 16 weeks and undergoing gastric perfusion of Tadalafil 2 mg/kg daily since the 13th week for 4 weeks. Sixteen weeks later, intracavernous pressure and mean arterial pressure were measured, and the ratio of maximal intracavernous pressure to mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) was calculated blood samples were collected. Blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta to undergo lipid profile test. Then penis was cut. Victoria blue/ponceau red staining and color image analysis were used to observe the content of elastic fibers in the tunica albuginea.

The ICP/MAP of the high-fat group was 0.49 +/- 0.05, significantly lower than that of the control group (0.82 +/- 0.06, P < 0.01). The ICP/MAP of the Tadalafil group was 0.60 +/- 0.02, significantly higher than that of the high-fat group (P < 0.05). The content of elastic fibers in tunica albuginea of the high-fat group was 468 +/- 152, significantly lower than that of the the control group (3292 +/- 1123, P < 0.01). The content of elastic fibers in tunica albuginea of the Tadalafil group was 2062 +/- 560, significantly higher than that of the high-fat group (P < 0.05).

High fat diet may lead to ED and reduction of elastic fibers in tunica albuginea, and PDE-5I reverses such pathological changes.