Epalrestat, an Aldose Reductase Inhibitor, Restores Erectile Function in Streptozocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Bai-Bing Yang,Lei-Lei Zhu,Zhi-Wei Hong,Guo-Tao Chen,Zheng Zhang,Yu-Tian Dai,Tao Song,He-Song Jiang,Wen Yu,Yun Chen

doi:10.1038/s41443-018-0075-x

Abstract

Epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor (ARI), was adopted to improve the function of peripheral nerves in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether epalrestat could restore the erectile function of diabetic erectile dysfunction using a rat model. From June 2016, 24 rats were given streptozocin (STZ) to induce the diabetic rat model, and epalrestat was administered to ten diabetic erectile dysfunction (DED) rats. Intracavernous pressure (ICP) and mean systemic arterial pressure (MAP), levels of aldose reductase (AR), nerve growth factor (NGF), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), α-smooth muscle antigen (α-SMA), and von Willebrand factor (vWF) in the corpus cavernosum were analyzed. We discovered that epalrestat acted on cavernous tissue and partly restored erectile function. NGF and nNOS levels in the corpora were increased after treatment with epalrestat. We also found that the content of α-SMA-positive smooth muscle cells and vWF-positive endothelial cells in the corpora cavernosum were declined. Accordingly, epalrestat might improve erectile function by increasing the upregulation of NGF and nNOS to restore the function of the dorsal nerve of the penis.

Highlights

Erectile dysfunction (ED) refers to the inability to adequately attain and/or maintain penile erection to allow satisfying sexual intercourse [1], and it is a common complication of diabetes mellitus
This study aimed to investigate if epalrestat can improve erectile function in diabetic erectile dysfunction (DED) rats and to uncover the possible mechanism of this while focusing on the effect on nerve growth factor (NGF) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the rat penis
After 8 weeks, the body weight of rats in the DED group was decreased (P < 0.001) and the blood glucose was significantly increased when compared with the controls (P < 0.001)

Summary

Introduction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) refers to the inability to adequately attain and/or maintain penile erection to allow satisfying sexual intercourse [1], and it is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. In the development of diabetic complications, the increasing of the polyol pathway plays an important role in. These authors contributed : Bai-Bing Yang, Zhi-Wei Hong. Epalrestat showed a potential for treating DED. This study aimed to investigate if epalrestat can improve erectile function in DED rats and to uncover the possible mechanism of this while focusing on the effect on NGF and nNOS in the rat penis

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