Effect Of Chinese Traditional Medicine On DDAH/ADMA/NOS Pathway In The Penile Tissue Of Aged Rat

Objective:To investigate the effect of age on DDAH/ADMA/NOS pathway and evaluated the curative effect of CTM on DDAH/ADMA/NOS pathway in the tissue of age-related erectile dysfunction rats.Methods:①Rats were randomly divided into aged group, young group, aged CTM group, aged CTM control group, young CTM group and young CTM control group.②CTM was supplemented by gavage administration to the rats of aged CTM group and young CTM group. Rats of aged CTM control group and young CTM control group had a gavage of identical NS.③The intracavernous pressure(ICP) was measured before and after hydrochloride papaverine injection.④The penile tissue was sliced and observed under transmission electron microscope. The rest was collected and stowed.⑤The serum testosterone(T), cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP) and asymmetrical dimethylarginine(ADMA) of penile tissue were detected by ELISA.⑥The expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS), neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS), dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase1(DDAH1) and dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolases2(DDAH2) were compared by western blot.Result:(1)There was no difference between aged group and young group in the baseline level of ICP. Similar ICP were got from young CTM group and aged CTM group compared with their control group. There was significant difference between aged group and young group was found in papaverine induced ICP. Higher ICP was detected in aged CTM group after papaverine injection compared with its control group. There was no difference between young CTM group and young CTM control group in papaverine induced ICP.②Under the electron microscope, the fibration was found in aged penile tissue. The mitochondria of the endothelial cells was concentrated, swollen, cavitated, and the organelles decreased significantly in aged penile tissue. The karyon of the endothelial cells was deformed with sporadical abnormalities of chromatin.③Compared with young group, lower serum T and cGMP and higher ADMA were assessed in aged group. Higher serum T and cGMP and lower ADMA were detected in aged CTM group compared with aged CTM control group. Young CTM group got higher serum T than young CTM control group. There was no difference between young CTM group and young CTM control group in the level of cGMP and ADMA.④The expression of nNOS, eNOS, DDAH1, DDAH2in aged group penile tissue decreased significantly compared with young group. Aged CTM group was observed increased expression of nNOS, eNOS, DDAH1, DDAH2compared with aged CTM control group. There was no difference between young CTM group and young CTM control group in the expression of nNOS, eNOS,DDAH1,DDAH2.Conclusion:①Age plays an important role in erectile dysfunction.②The effect of age on DDAH/ADMA/NOS pathway might play a key role in age-related ED.③Chinese traditional medicine treatment could regain the function of DDAH/ADMA/NOS pathway, which has a significant curative effect on age-related ED.