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Myocardin restores erectile function in diabetic rats: phenotypic modulation of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells
Author(s) -
He S.,
Zhang T.,
Liu Y.,
Liu L.,
Zhang H.,
Chen F.,
Wei A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1111/and.12261
Subject(s) - myocardin , calponin , medicine , endocrinology , penis , myosin , stimulation , tunica albuginea (penis) , transfection , erectile dysfunction , smooth muscle , biology , anatomy , serum response factor , gene expression , microbiology and biotechnology , cell culture , biochemistry , genetics , gene
Summary This study aimed to investigate whether gene transfer of myocardin to the penis of diabetic rats can modulate corpus cavernosum smooth muscle ( CCSM ) cells phenotype and restore erectile function. Five normal control rats, and 22 diabetic rats were randomly divided into four groups: rats transfected with ad CMV ‐myocardin ( N = 6), treated with empty vector ( N = 6), injected with medium ( N = 5), and sham‐operated rats ( N = 5). The erectile response was measured 7 days after transfection. The percent of smooth muscle and the expressions of SM α‐actin, smooth muscle myosin heavy chain ( SMMHC ), calponin were evaluated. The increases in intracorporal pressure( ICP )/mean arterial pressure and total ICP in response to nerve stimulation in the ad CMV ‐myocardin treated rats were significantly greater than those in the empty vector ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.001), medium only ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.001), and sham‐operated rats ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). The suppressed expressions of SM α‐actin, SMMHC and calponin were completely restored, and the amount of smooth muscle in diabetic rats were not restored after treatment. It is concluded that myocardin ameliorated erectile responses in diabetic rats mainly via promoting phenotypic modulation of CCSM cells from a proliferative to a contractile state.