Effects of diabetes on neurotransmission in rat vaginal smooth muscle

Giraldi, Annamaria; Persson, Katarina; Werkström, Viktoría; Alm, Per; Wagner, Gorm; Andersson, Karl

doi:10.1038/sj.ijir.3900648

Cited by 61 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…9 In that study, the diabetesinduced changes in vaginal smooth muscle were similar to the effects on smooth muscle in the male. She also evaluated the effect of the menstrual and hormonal cycle on the tissues of interest Ð a very important aspect of the study because STZ-induced diabetes does affect hormonal regulation in the animal.…”

Section: Other Ways Of Creating Diabetessupporting

confidence: 50%

Pathophysiologic basis of erectile dysfunction. What can we learn from animal models?

Melman

2001

Int J Impot Res

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Section: Other Ways Of Creating Diabetessupporting

confidence: 50%

Pathophysiologic basis of erectile dysfunction. What can we learn from animal models?

Melman

2001

Int J Impot Res

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“…Recent studies reported the existence of an adrenergic regulation of blood supply to female genitalia, which promotes smooth muscle contraction and low blood flow levels, analogous to the male genitalia. 4,14 Inhibitory nonadrenergic, noncholinergic (NANC) neurotransmission in vagina and clitoris has been reported but is not yet fully characterized. Some evidence suggests that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) acts as NANC neurotransmitter.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vardenafil enhances clitoral and vaginal blood flow responses to pelvic nerve stimulation in female dogs

Angulo

Cuevas

et al. 2003

Int J Impot Res

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The relaxation of the smooth muscle in the vagina and clitoris and the increase of blood flow into these organs is thought to be essential in the female sexual response. Vardenafil is a type 5 phosphodiesterase (PDE5) inhibitor that potentiates the nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP pathway facilitating penile smooth muscle relaxation and improving penile erection in men. Although the potentiation of the NO/cGMP pathway through PDE5 inhibitors can clearly enhance blood flow into the penis and is used in the therapy of male sexual dysfunction, there is controversy about the efficacy of these agents in improving female sexual function. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of vardenafil on the increase of blood flow into the vagina and clitoris induced by pelvic nerve electrical stimulation (PNES) in a female dog model. Application of PNES produced consistent and frequency-related increased blood flow into the vagina and clitoris of anesthetized female dogs. The magnitude and duration of the blood flow responses to PNES were variable among the different animals but remained stable over time within the same animal. The intravenous administration of vardenafil (1 mg/kg) significantly potentiated the increases in blood flow produced by PNES into the vagina (381.4 and 206.2% of control response at 5 and 10 Hz, respectively, Po0.01, n ¼ 6) and clitoris (379.4 and 238.5% of control response at 5 and 10 Hz, respectively, Po0.01, n ¼ 6) 20 min after administration. The significant enhancement of PNESinduced responses was maintained 50 min (224.5 and 181.0%, Po0.01 in vagina; 294.8 and 258.9%, Po0.05 in clitoris) and 80 min after vardenafil administration (209.5 and 156.9%, Po0.05 in vagina; 268.9 and 194.9%, Po0.05 in clitoris). Here we present a feasible model for research into female sexual function. Our results show that vardenafil effectively potentiates the blood flow responses to PNES in the genitalia of female dogs. These results emphasize the role of the NO/cGMP pathway in the local vasodilatory response in female sexual organs and provide a rationale for testing PDE5 inhibitors, such as vardenafil, as a treatment for certain forms of female sexual dysfunction.

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“…to electrical stimulation of nerves (EFS), to NO donors, and to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)] and the contractile response of vaginal tissue to norepinephrine and to EFS. 65 Other rat studies have indicated that diabetes causes a significant decrease in nervestimulated clitoral and vaginal blood flow, induces diffuse fibrosis of the clitoris and the vaginal tissue, and reduces muscular layer and epithelial thickness in the vagina, 63,64,66 thus impairing sexual response. Studies in humans, using vaginal plethysmography as an objective measure of physiological arousal, have found an association between diabetes and decreased vaginal lubrication.…”

Section: Pathogenesis Of Female Sexual Dysfunction In Diabetesmentioning

confidence: 99%