[Effect of cordycepin on CX43 expression in the corpus cavernosum of type II diabetes induced erectile dysfunction in rats].

Objective: To study the effect of cordycepin on the expression of connexin 43 (CX43) in the corpus cavernosum tissue of the ED rats with type II diabetic mellitus (DM).

Methods: Forty male SD rats were fed with high-fat diet and injected intraperitoneally with STZ solution to induce type II DM, and then divided into 4 groups of an equal number: DM model control, low-dose cordycepin (10.0 mg/kg/d), high-dose cordycepin (30.0 mg/kg/d) and sildenafil positive control (5.0 mg/kg/d). Another 10 male SD rats were taken as blank controls and fed with normal diet. After 6 weeks of intervention, the sexual behavior of the rats was observed, the ratio of intra-cavernous pressure to mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) measured, and the corpus cavernosal tissue harvested for observation of the morphology and determination of the expression level of CX43 in the corpus cavernosum by immunohistochemistry.

Results: Compared with the DM model controls, the rats in the high-dose cordycepin group showed significantly improved latency and frequency of captures (P < 0.01), increased ICP/MAP ratio (P < 0.05), and improved morphology of the corpus cavernosal tissue. The expression of CX43 was found mainly in the smooth muscle cells of the penile corpus cavernosum, and dramatically higher in the high-dose cordycepin group than in the DM model controls (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Cordycepin can effectively improve the erectile function of type Ⅱ diabetic rats by up-regulating the expression of CX43 in the penile corpus cavernosum.