Vitamin E (α-tocopherol) supplementation enhances nitric oxide production in penile tissue of diabetic rats.

Objective: To investigate the effects of 0.1% and 2% vitamin E (α-tocopherol) supplementation on the expression of nitric oxide (NO) in penile tissue of rats with experimentally induced diabetes mellitus (DM).

Materials And Methods: In all, 30 male rats were divided into six groups: normoglycaemic (NG), NG treated with 0.1% vitamin E (NGE1), NG treated with 2% vitamin E (NGE2), DM, DM treated with 0.1% vitamin E (DME1), and DM treated with 2% vitamin E (DME2). After 120 days the rats were killed, and penile tissue was collected and processed for neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) immunohistochemistry to determine areas of nNOS-immunoreactive varicosities.

Results: nNOS-immunoreactive varicosities in DME2 rats were similar to those of controls (NG) and controls supplemented with vitamin E (NGE1 and NGE2). Varicosity sizes in the NGE1 group were similar to the DM rats with no vitamin E supplementation.

Conclusion: Supplementation with 2% vitamin E had a positive effect on areas of nNOS-immunoreactive varicosities of penile tissue in DM rats.