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Cavernosal nerve stimulation in the rat reverses castration-induced decrease in penile NOS activity

J Lugg¹, C Ng, J Rajfer

¹Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, Torrance 90509, USA.

The American Journal of Physiology

|August 1, 1996

Summary

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Castration in rats inhibits penile nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, not its content. This enzyme inhibition is reversible with cavernosal nerve stimulation, suggesting a pathway for restoring erectile function.

Area of Science:

Urology
Endocrinology
Neuroscience

Background:

Androgen deficiency, such as through castration, impairs erectile function in rats.
Penile nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity is reduced following castration.
The mechanism behind reduced penile NOS activity post-castration requires clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether castration reduces penile NOS activity by decreasing enzyme content or by promoting enzyme inhibition.
To determine if cavernosal nerve stimulation can reverse the reduced NOS activity in castrated rats.

Main Methods:

Adult male rats were either castrated or maintained as intact controls.
Electrical field stimulation (EFS) of the cavernosal nerve was applied.
Penile tissue was collected at peak erection or after detumescence for NOS activity and content analysis.

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Main Results:

Castration significantly reduced penile NOS activity by 70% compared to intact controls, while NOS content remained unchanged.
Electrical field stimulation (EFS) restored NOS activity in castrated rats to normal levels at peak erection.
NOS activity decreased upon detumescence in castrated rats, but EFS did not affect activity in intact rats.

Conclusions:

Androgen depletion in rats leads to inhibition of penile NOS activity, not a reduction in enzyme content.
Cavernosal nerve stimulation can reverse this enzyme inhibition, indicating a potential therapeutic strategy for erectile dysfunction associated with androgen deficiency.