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CHRONIC ALCOHOLISM ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES INDUCED APOPTOSIS IN THE CORPUS CAVERNOSUM IN RATS
Author(s) -
Cirino Mucio Assis,
Schimming Bruno,
Novais Paulo Cezar,
Lizarte Fermino S.,
Melo de Carvalho Camila A.,
Fazan Valeria P. S.,
Tirapelli Daniela P. C.,
Molina Carlos A. F.,
Junior Silvio Tucci,
Tirapelli Luis F.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.09663
Subject(s) - erectile dysfunction , diabetes mellitus , medicine , endocrinology , libido , erectile tissue , apoptosis , biology , biochemistry
The association between diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction has been studied for many years. Erectile dysfunction secondary to angiopathic, neuropathic and myopathic damage is one of the main complications of diabetes in men. Other reproductive complications include ejaculatory dysfunction, hypogonadism, modified semen parameters, and delayed puberty. On the other hand, ethanol has various effects too, on male sexual activity, in small amounts improves erection and increases libido because of its vasodilatory effect; however, large amounts can cause central sedation, decreased libido, impaired the penile tumescence, and transient erectile dysfunction. Chronic alcoholism may cause hypogonadism and polineuropathy that may affect penile nerve function. Therefore, chronic alcoholism induced dysfunction of smooth muscle in the corpus cavernosum in rats. Although, effects of ethanol on the ultrastructure of cavernosal smooth muscle cells, elastic fibers and collagen content; and apoptosis in the erectile tissues of diabetic rats has been showed, no studies have been done to analyse the apoptotic effects of the diabetes associated with ethanol in the corpus cavernosum in rats. Objectives To investigate the effects of chronic ethanol consumption and diabetes on apoptotic process in the corpus cavernosum. Material and Methods Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control, diabetic (alloxan injection), ethanol, and ethanol‐diabetic (12 rats in each group). Fragments of corpus cavernosum were obtained and destined to the immunohistochemistry and real‐time PCR to analyze the protein expression of apoptotic genes CASPASE‐3, and CASPASE‐9. Results The immunoreactivity of CASPASE‐3 and CASPASE‐9 was diffuse and higher in the treated groups, however there was no significant difference between the experimental groups, only when compared with the control group. An increase was observed in the gene expression of CASPASE‐3 and CASPASE‐9 in the diabetic and ethanol‐diabetic groups when compared with to control and ethanol groups. Conclusions There was an increase in apoptosis in ethanol and ethanol‐diabetic rats. The association of these factors (ethanol and diabetes), jointly with neuropathy and arteriopathy could lead to development of erectile dysfunction.