This study was designed to elucidate the existence of PSD95 in the rat sciatic nerve. Immunohistochemical stains of cryosection and teased fiber of sciatic nerves were performed with goat polyclonal antibody against PSD95. Western blot analysis was also accomplished with the same antibody. We got an interesting result that the rat sciatic nerve obviously showed PSD95 immunoreactivity especially in the nodal and paranodal regions, and we also identified a distinct band of PSD95 by western blot. These results suggest PSD95 exists in the sciatic nerve as well as it does in the central nervous system. We suppose PSD95 may have some important roles in ion channel clustering, junctional plasticity and signal transduction in the peripheral nerves as well.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cerebellum/cytology/metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nerve Fibers/metabolism/ultrastructure ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/*metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sciatic Nerve/*metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the pharmacodynamic and pathological mechanism of eucommia ulmoides oliv in improving erectile function.

METHODSThirty male diabetic rats were randomly divided into three groups: group A (n = 10, escipient group), group B (n = 10, sildenafil group), group C (n = 10, eucommia ulmoides oliv group) and group D (n = 10, the normal control group). After gavage for four weeks, the catching behaviors of all rats were observed, and ultrastructure of myelinated nerve fibers in penile tissue was examined by transmission electron microscope. The expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in penile tissues was examined by two steps immunohistochemistry method.

RESULTSCompared with group A, catching frequency of the rats in group C was notably increased (P < 0.05) and the expression of nNOS in penile tissue was significantly (P < 0.001). The examination by transmission electron microscope showed that in the rats' penile tissue of group A, myelinated nerve fibers were irregularly arranged and partially degenerated, and myelin sheaths lamella were splited and exhibited vacuoles or network forms. In group C, there were regular arrangements of myelinated nerve fibers, in which the formation of lamella was clear.

CONCLUSIONBy remitting the impairement of myelinated nerve fibers and enhancing the expression of nNOS in penile tissue, eucommia ulmoides oliv can improve erectile function of diabetic rats.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Eucommiaceae ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated ; ultrastructure ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Penis ; drug effects ; enzymology ; innervation ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley