Potential of phloroglucinol to improve erectile dysfunction associated with streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats

Diabetes is a common metabolic disease with several complications in its patients. Often, people living with diabetes develop erectile dysfunction (ED). The primary aim of this work was to investigate the effect of phloroglucinol in diabetes-induced ED in rats.

Male Wistar rats were given 52 mg/kg of streptozotocin, by intraperitoneal injection, to induce diabetes and ED. Subsequently, animals were grouped into three groups: group 1, diabetic control; group 2, low-dose phloroglucinol (150 mg/kg body weight); and group 3, high-dose phloroglucinol (250 mg/kg body weight). A group of six normal rats served as a normal control. The rats were treated with phloroglucinol for six weeks and then were assessed for treatment effects. Sexual behavior, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values, serum testosterone, serum nitric oxide (NO), blood pressure and sperm count were measured after the end of treatment.

After a 6-week treatment period, the high dose of phloroglucinol significantly decreased HbA1c values in diabetic rats. Rats treated with phloroglucinol had increased serum testosterone, NO and sperm count. Animals treated with 250 mg/kg phloroglucinol performed similar to normal rats in the sexual behavioral study, suggesting the reversal of complications of ED. Conversely, a decrease in the blood pressure in treated groups was observed.

The results highlight the protective effect of phloroglucinol in diabetes-induced ED in rats warranting further studies.