OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of growth hormone (GH) on the erectile function and the number of nNOS-containing nerve fibers in internal iliac arterial ligation rats.

METHODSThirty-six mature male Wistar rats were randomized into 3 groups: GH intervention group, internal iliac arterial ligation group and sham operation group. After four weeks and eight weeks of treatment, one jalf of the rats of each group were selected respectively and tested for erectile function and then sacrificed for the detection of nNOS-containing nerve fibers by streptaridin-peroxidase immunohistochemistry techniques(SP method).

RESULTSAfter four weeks, the erection frequency and the number of nNOS-containing never fibers in the sham operation group significantly increased compared with the other two groups, which showed no significant difference(P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in erection rate among the three groups. After eight weeks, the number of nNOS-containing never fibers in corpus carvosum in the internal iliac arterial ligation group decreased compared with the other two groups, between which there was no significant difference. And there was no significant difference in erection frequency and erection rate among the three groups.

CONCLUSIONGrowth hormone can improve erectile function of internal iliac arterial ligation rats, which can be explained by the increase in the number of nNOS-containing never fibers in corpus carvosum of rats.