Sildenafil citrate improves erectile function after castration in a rat model. (14th June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mulhall, John P.; Verma, Nipun; Deveci, Serkan; Tal, Raanan; Kobylarz, Keith; Müller, Alexander
• Is Part Of: BJU international. Volume 113:Number 4(2014:Apr.)
• Page Start: 656
• Page End: 661
• Publication Date: 2013-06-14
• Subjects: Genitourinary organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Genitourinary organs -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Urology -- Periodicals; 616.6
• DOI: 10.1111/bju.12175
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1464-4096

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="bju12175-sec-5001" sec-type="section"> <title>Take Home Message</title> <p>The administration of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor commencing at the time of castration might preserve erectile function.</p> </sec> <sec id="bju12175-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p> <list id="bju12175-list-0001" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>To determine if sildenafil citrate treatment could improve erectile function after castration.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>To determine if sildenafil citrate treatment reduces collagenisation and apoptosis in erectile tissue after castration.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> <sec id="bju12175-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Materials and Methods</title> <p> <list id="bju12175-list-0002" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>In all, 60 Sprague‐Dawley rats were studied; the rats were divided into the following groups: sham – no orchidectomy (S), control – orchidectomy only (O) and treatment – orchidectomy plus sildenafil treatment (V), with 10 rats per group.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Erectile haemodynamics assessment was done at 7 days (S7, O7, V7) and at 28 days (S28, O28, V28) yielding a total of six groupings.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Functional assessment measured the mean maximum intracavernosal pressure–mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) ratio. TUNEL assay was used to define apoptotic indices (AIs) and Masson's trichrome staining was used to evaluate smooth muscle–collagen (SM–C) ratios.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> <sec id="bju12175-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p> <list id="bju12175-list-0003" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>The S28 group had the highest and the O7 group the lowest ICP/MAP ratio, at a mean (<sc>sd</sc>) of 70 (6)% and 36 (6)%, respectively. Both treatment groups, V7 [42 (12)%] and V28 [49 (13)%] showed statistically significant improvements over their corresponding control groups: O7 [36 (6)%] and O28 [37 (9)%] (<italic>P</italic> < 0.05). However, ICP/MAP values for V7 and V28 remained significantly below the S28 group (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001). There were no significant differences in ICP/MAP values between the 28‐day and 7‐day ICP/MAP ratios within each group (S, O, V).</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>There were no significant differences in SM–C ratio between the O and V groups (O7 vs V7, <italic>P</italic> = 0.45; O28 vs V28, <italic>P</italic> = 0.16).</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>There were no significant differences in AIs between the O and V groups (O7 vs V7, <italic>P</italic> = 0.54; O28 vs V28, <italic>P</italic> = 0.8).</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> <sec id="bju12175-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p> <list id="bju12175-list-0004" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>Daily treatment with sildenafil improved erectile function in rats after castration. ICP/MAP ratios increased significantly in the treatment groups compared with the control groups with the greatest erectile function occurring 28 days from administration.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>In this series of experiments the improved erectile function recovery with sildenafil after surgical castration cannot be explained by smooth muscle protection and decreased collagenisation.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>The improved erectile function with sildenafil after surgical castration cannot be explained by reduced apoptosis in erectile tissue.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> </abstract>