Correlation between gut microbiota diversity and psychogenic erectile dysfunction

To analyze the distribution of gut microbiota in erectile dysfunction (ED) patients and explore the relationship between the diversity of gut microbiota and psychogenic ED.

Stool specimen were collected from 30 patients with ED and 30 healthy persons (healthy donors, HDs) and analyzed Paired end (PE) 300 sequencing on V3-V4 region sequences of bacterial 16S rRNA gene by using Illumina's Miseq platform, whereby sequencing results were analyzed to assess differences in species composition and diversity. The analysis comprised five modules: sequencing data quality control, operational taxonomic units (OTU) species clustering and annotation, alpha diversity, beta diversity and the use of t-tests and analysis of linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) differences.

The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score ranged between 8 and 21. The scores of ED patients were ≥11 and ≤20, and the mean value was 15.67±2.94. The flora diversity in the group of ED patients was significantly different from that of HDs (P<0.01), with the ED group having low bacterial diversity. There were no significant differences in the genus level between the ED and HD group, and abundant bacteria (TOP10) and core flora (90%). Comparison of total flora (the abundance >1%) display, Alloprevotella genera showed differences, whereby Alloprevotella was only be identified in the HD group. Erectile dysfunction and HD showed good separation and clustering respectively in principal component analysis, showing significant differences in two kinds of microflora. T-tests showed that six species were significantly different, and that in the ED group, streptococci and Subdoligranulum were significantly increasing, and Prevotella sp.9, Blautia, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 groups and Roseburia were significantly lower. Analysis using LEfSe analysis revealed 24 species were significantly different between ED and HD groups.

When gene sequencing was performed of ED and HD specimens, the microbial community structure and diversity showed significant differences, suggesting that ED specimen had lower gut microbiota diversity.