Objective: To investigate the effects of testosterone on cavernosal endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in a castrated rat model.
Materials And Methods: In all, 45 male Sprague-Dawley rats (12-weeks old) were divided into control, surgical castration, and castration with testosterone replacement groups. The rats were castrated under ketamine anaesthesia, and testosterone was administered by daily subcutaneous injection of 3 mg/kg testosterone propionate. The corpus cavernosum was obtained after perfusion with 10 mL saline via the abdominal aorta 4 weeks later. The expression of EPC-specific markers [cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34), fetal liver kinase 1 (Flk1), and vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin] was evaluated by flow cytometry analysis and immunofluorescence staining.
Results: CD34+/Flk1+ and CD34+/VE-cadherin+ cells were detected in the cavernosal sinusoidal endothelial space. Flow cytometry analysis showed that CD34 and Flk1 double positive cells (EPCs) comprised ≈3.79% of the corpus cavernosum in normal rats. The percentage of EPC marker-positive cells decreased significantly in the castration group (2.8%; P < 0.05) and was restored to 3.56% after testosterone supplementation. Confocal microscopy revealed that the numbers of CD34+/Flk1+ and CD34+/VE-cadherin+ cells decreased in castrated rats compared with controls, but were similar to control levels in rats receiving testosterone replacement.
Conclusions: The EPC markers were expressed in the cavernosal sinusoidal endothelial space, and the numbers of resident EPCs were regulated by testosterone. These results suggest that testosterone replacement therapy may improve erectile function by modulating EPCs in patients with hypogonadism.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bju.13438 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Development and growth of cavernosal sinusoidal endothelia in the external genitalia of human fetuses.
Ann Anat
December 2024
Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Hiroshima, Japan.
Background: There is little information about when and how cavernosal sinusoidal endothelia develop in the external genitalia of fetuses.
Methods: We examined histological sections of erectile tissue in 37 human fetuses (25 males and 12 females) whose gestational age (GA) ranged from 8 to 40 weeks.
Results: The sinusoidal lumen was filled with blood in the glans of the penis and clitoris at a GA of 10 to 11 weeks, and in the corpus spongiosum at a GA of 15 to 16 weeks.
Corpus cavernosum and tunica albuginea reconstruction by tissue engineering: towards functional erectile structures regeneration.
BMC Urol
December 2024
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, China.
Background: Current treatments for penile erectile structures reconstruction are limited and remain a great challenge in clinical practice. Tissue engineering techniques using different seed cells and scaffolds to construct a neo-tissue open promising avenues for penile erectile structures repair and replacement and show great promise in the restoration of: structure, mechanical property, and function which matches the original tissue.
Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted by accessing the NCBI PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases from January 1, 1990, to January, 1, 2022 using the search terms "Tissue engineering, Corpus cavernosum (CC), Tunica albuginea (TA), Acellular Matrix, Penile Reconstruction".
Vascular hemodynamic effects of penile revascularization surgery and the role of resistive index in follow-up.
Basic Clin Androl
December 2024
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Urology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Bilkent, Polatlı caddesi, No:125/4, Gazi Mahallesi, Yenimahalle, Ankara, Turkey.
Background: To evaluate the effects of penile revascularization surgery on penile vascular hemodynamics and to assess the utility of the resistive index (RI) as an objective parameter for postoperative patient follow-up.
Methods: This study included a total of 35 patients who underwent penile revascularization. Penile color Doppler ultrasonography was performed preoperatively and at the third postoperative month to evaluate cavernosal arteries, dorsal arteries, deep dorsal vein, and inferior epigastric artery.
A Mitochondrion-Targeting Piezoelectric Nanosystem for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction via Autophagy Regulation.
Adv Mater
December 2024
National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Mitochondrial damage caused by external stimuli, such as high glucose levels and inflammation, results in excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Existing antioxidants can only scavenge ROS and cannot address the root cause of ROS production, namely, abnormal mitochondria. To overcome this limitation, the study develops a piezoelectric synergistic drug-loaded nanosystem (BaTCG nanosystem) that targets mitochondria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA detailed analysis of the penile fibro-vascular assembly.
J Sex Med
December 2024
Microsurgical Potency Reconstruction Center, Shu-Tien Urology Ophthalmology Clinic, Taipei 10662, Taiwan.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the penile fibrovascular assembly to determine if it functions as an independent vascular compartment within the human body, addressing a gap in cardiovascular research.
- Researchers examined 23 male cadavers and analyzed extensive medical imaging and hemodynamic data to gain insight into the structure and function of the penile vasculature.
- Results indicate that the human penis contains a unique bi-layered fibrovascular assembly with atypical vascular patterns, challenging previous assumptions about penile venous drainage.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!