Abstract
BackgroundErectile dysfunction (ED) is a common complication of diabetes. This study aimed to explore the beneficial effect of Danshen injection on ED in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model and the underlying mechanism.MethodsThe diabetic rat model was established by an intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg STZ in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The diabetic rats were intraperitoneally injected with Danshen solution (0.5 or 1 mL/kg/day) or the same volume of saline for 6 weeks. Age-matched rats served as controls. After 6 weeks, erectile function and histological morphology of the corpora cavernosum were assessed. Oxidative stress indicators, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, were measured in penile tissues. The expression levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 (Grp78), growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (GADD153/CHOP) were determined by immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and RT-PCR. Apoptosis was detected by a TUNEL assay.ResultsThe erection times of diabetic rats were significantly less than those of control rats. Danshen injection could improve erectile function via increased erection times. Danshen injection was also found to ameliorate the morphological abnormalities of the corpora cavernosum, to reduce the number of apoptotic cells, and to suppress caspase-3 activation in penile tissue, accompanied by downregulation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress biomarkers Grp78 and CHOP. Danshen injection could increase SOD activity as well as reduce ROS and MDA levels in diabetic rats, indicating suppression of oxidative stress.ConclusionDanshen injection could rescue diabetes-associated ED, possibly via suppressing the oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis pathways.
Highlights
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common complication of diabetes
We investigated whether Danshen injection exerts a protective role in maintaining erectile function in a diabetic rat model through suppression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum
Danshen injection restored the body weight without affecting the blood glucose level There was no significant difference in the body weight before STZ injection among groups and 2 days after STZ injection (P > 0.05, Fig. 1a)
Summary
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common complication of diabetes. This study aimed to explore the beneficial effect of Danshen injection on ED in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model and the underlying mechanism. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the inability of a man to obtain and maintain a persistent erection during sexual intercourse. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease with multiple complications. It is estimated that there are 415 million adult diabetics worldwide and an additional 318 million adults with impaired glucose tolerance [1]. It has been reported that diabetic men are three times more likely to develop ED than nondiabetic men [2] and that the prevalence of ED in patients with DM is approximately 75.2% in China [3]
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