Alterations of Intracorporeal Structures in Patients with Erectile Dysfunction

Abstract

Objective: We sought to quantify intracavernosal smooth muscle content (SMC), endothelial cells (EC) and elastic fibres (EF) in both potent and impotent men. We compare the results in impotent men with regard to patient age, aetiology of impotence, presence or absence of diabetes mellitus and smoking. Patients and Methods: Seventy penile biopsies were taken from 10 potent patients with congenital penile curvature (age 17–24 years, mean: 21 ± 1.16) and from 60 impotent patients (age 28–64 years, mean: 46 ± 7.64). Biopsies were stained immunohistochemically to quantify the percentage of SMC by anti-desmin and anti-SMA, anti-CD-34 for EC and Verhoeff’s histochemical staining for EF. Statistical analyses were performed by using one-way Anova after square root transformation. Results: We observed a statistically significant difference in the amounts of corporeal SMC, EC and EF with regard to the following subgroups: potent versus impotent men; men with arterial aetiology versus veno-occlusive aetiology; men under the age of 45 versus men over the age of 45; patients with diabetes mellitus versus non-diabetes mellitus, and smokers versus non-smokers. Conclusion: Quantification of intracavernosal structures appears to be important for either understanding the mechanism of impotence or deciding the appropriate treatment.

Effects of Ethanol on Intracorporeal Structures of the Rat

“…It was suggested that these smooth muscle cells contribute to the firmness of the erect penis by increasing the intracavernous pressure in a way that could not be achieved by a vascular mechanism alone [6,15]. In several studies it has been reported that cavernous tissue in impotent men showed a marked decrease in smooth muscle and elastic fiber content compared to that in normal potent men [2,5,16]. In chronic alcoholism, male sexual dysfunction may be caused from decreased testosterone and increased estrogen levels, and alcoholic polyneuropathy [9].…”

Long-term continuous sildenafil treatment ameliorates corporal veno-occlusive dysfunction (CVOD) induced by cavernosal nerve resection in rats

“…This not only impairs the normal nitrergic neurotransmission which initiates the normal erectile response, but can also lead to the loss of SMC and corporal fibrosis. [5][6][7][8] It is this alteration in the corporal smooth muscle to collagen ratio that is assumed to lead to CVOD. 9 As a result, both spontaneous erections and the response to vasoactive drugs, including the oral PDE5 inhibitors when given on demand to elicit an erection, can be adversely affected.…”

Effect of muscle‐derived stem cells on the restoration of corpora cavernosa smooth muscle and erectile function in the aged rat

“…Ageing-related erectile dysfunction (ED) is primarily due to corporal veno-occlusive dysfunction (CVOD) [1,2], as a result of a loss of the corporal smooth muscle cells (SMCs) together with excessive collagen deposition within the corpora, as shown both in man [3][4][5] and rat models [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. It has been hypothesized that this histological alteration is due to oxidative stress triggered by the release of profibrotic factors such as reactive oxygen species, TGF-β 1 , plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and others, that not only lead to collagen accumulation but also to an increase in apoptosis and a reduction in corporal SMC proliferation [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14].…”