Effects of chronic low- and high-dose ethanol intake on the nitrergic relaxations of corpus cavernosum and penile nitric oxide synthase in the rabbit

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Yazır Y., Gocmez S. S., Utkan T., Komsuoglu-Celıkyurt I., Gacar N., Sarioglu Y.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMPOTENCE RESEARCH, vol.24, pp.185-190, 2012 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 24
  • Publication Date: 2012
  • Doi Number: 10.1038/ijir.2012.14
  • Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMPOTENCE RESEARCH
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.185-190
  • Keywords: alcohol consumption, carbachol, corpus cavernosum, impotence, nitric oxide, ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT RELAXATION, MODERATE ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION, SMOOTH-MUSCLE, RESPONSES, RISK, RAT, TESTOSTERONE, ACETALDEHYDE, REACTIVITY, MORTALITY
  • Kocaeli University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Epidemiological evidence showed that chronic ethanol consumption is a major risk factor in the development of impotence. The present study investigated the effects of carbachol-, electrical field stimulation (EFS)-, sodium nitroprusside (SNP)- and papaverine-induced relaxant responses in the isolated corpus cavernosum tissues from rabbits submitted to an 12-week course of chronic low (5% v/v) or high ethanol intake (30% v/v). Increased carbachol- and EFS-induced relaxant responses but not SNP and papaverine, were observed in low ethanol-fed rabbits compared with controls. However, impaired carbachol- and EFS-induced relaxant responses were observed in high ethanol-fed rabbits compared with control rabbits. There were no significant differences in SNP- and papaverine-induced relaxant responses between control and high ethanol-fed rabbits. In addition, decreased neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) immunoreactivity in penile tissue were found in high ethanol-fed rabbits, but increased the immunoreactivity in low ethanol-fed group, compared with control group. These results suggest that alterations in nitric oxide (NO) production within the cavernous tissue in the high ethanol-fed rabbits are, at least in part, responsible for the erectile dysfunction.