INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Peyronie's disease (PD) is defined as an acquired fibrosis of the tunica albuginea, which can result in pain, deformity and erectile dysfunction. Currently, PD treatment is controversial because oral therapies present limited efficacy. To investigate the antifibrotic effect of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in experimental model of PD using morphological and stereological methods.METHODS: Twenty adult male Wistar rats weighing on average 469g were divided into 4 groups. Group 1 Control: animals free of experimental handling; Group 2 TGF-b: animals received injection of TGF-b; Group 3 MMF-7d: animals treated with MMF after 7 days of induction with TGF-b and, Group 4 MMF-30d: animals treated with MMF after 30 days of induction with TGF-b. The measurement of penile curvature was performed before material collecting for histological processing. Processing of histological sections was analyzed in conventional light microscope and in fluorescence system coupled with the same microscope. Steorological evaluation included the relative volume of different types of connective fibers of the penile tunica albuginea. Data analysis of penile curvature and stereological evaluation was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Mann-Whitney test.RESULTS: The histochemical assessment showed a fragmentation and degradation of elastin in the tunica albugínea region. This process was incompletely reversed in the MMF-7d group. In MMF-30d group, a situation very close to normality was observed. An inversion was observed in the collagen III/collagen I ratio with an increase of this ratio in TGF-b and MMF-7d groups, and a decrease in the MMF-30d group approximating to the normality CONCLUSIONS: Intratunical injection of TGF-b was able to promote fibrotic alterations in the region of penile tunica albuginea in Wistar rat, corresponding to PD. In this model of induction of PD in Wistar rat by TGF-b injection, the MMF acts as a regenerating antifibrotic agent.
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