| OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) onpenile erection and corpora cavernosa endothelial cells in rats withdiabetes-associated erectile dysfunction (ED).METHODS90male Sprague-Dawley rats were established diabetic rats byinjecting streptozotocin (STZ), and observing erectile phenomenon to selectdiabetic-associated ED rats by injecting apomorphine (APO). Byintraperitoneal injection of Panax notoginseng saponin (PNS)50mg/kg,100mg/kg and150mg/kg in PNS treated groups, respectively, and controlgroup and diabetic untreated group were injected with equal volume ofphysiological saline. Four weeks after PNS treatment, erectile function ineach group was assessed by intracavernous pressure (ICP) and mean arterialpressure (MAP) measurement. The level of nitric oxide (NO), cyclicguanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and advanced glycation end products(AGEs) in cavernous tissue were detected. Immunohistochemical staining and TUNEL were performed for detecting endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS) and apoptosis, respectively.RESULTSICP and ICP/MAP ratio were significantly increased in medium-doseand high-dose PNS treated groups compared with the diabetic untreatedgroup (P<0.05). Compared with the diabetic untreated group, the expressionof eNOS and the levels of NO and cGMP were increased in medium-doseand high-dose PNS treated groups (P<0.05). Also, the blood glucose levelsand AGEs content in medium-dose and high-dose PNS treated groupsshowed a decline, compared with the diabetic untreated group (P<0.05).Moreover, apoptosis of corpora cavernosa tissue were markedly decreasedamong three PNS treated groups compared with the diabetic untreated group(P<0.05).CONCLUSIONPNS can recovery the endothelial cell function in corpus cavernosumby adjusting the NO/cGMP pathway and controlling the accumulation ofAGEs, and may be used for improving in diabetic ED rats. |
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