Growth hormone enhances regeneration of nNOS-containing nerve fibers in the aged rat penis.
- Author:
Xing HUANG
1
;
Li-Quan HU
;
Bin-Qun TIAN
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Animals; Apomorphine; pharmacology; Human Growth Hormone; pharmacology; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Nerve Fibers; enzymology; physiology; Nerve Regeneration; drug effects; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; analysis; Penile Erection; drug effects; Penis; enzymology; innervation; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- From: National Journal of Andrology 2005;11(2):98-100
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of growth hormone (GH) on the erectile function and the number of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) -containing nerve fibers in the penis of aged rats.
METHODSTwenty-four aged male SD rats (18 months) were randomized into 2 groups: GH intervention group and control group. After four and eight weeks, a half of each group were selected and tested for erectile function after apomorphine (APO) injection and then sacrificed for the detection of nNOS-containing nerve fibers in the penis by streptavidin-peroxidase conjugated method (SP method).
RESULTSAfter four weeks, the erectile function and the number of nNOS-containing nerve fibers showed no significant difference between the GH intervention group and the control group (P > 0.05). After eight weeks, the erection frequency was significantly different (P < 0.05) between the two groups, while the erection rate was not. The number of nNOS-containing nerve fibers in the GH intervention group was significantly larger than that in the control group (P < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONGH enhances the regeneration of nNOS-containing nerve fibers in the penis and improves the erectile function of the aged rat.
