Erectile dysfunction (ED), as a common male disease, seriously affects the patients' sexual life quality. Most ED patients benefit from phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, but some refractory ED sufferers fail to respond to them. With the rapid development of molecular biology, the relevant molecular signaling pathways of penile erection and molecular pathogenesis of ED have been gradually clarified, and attempts have been made at a better management or a complete cure of ED with advanced molecular biological methods such as the gene therapy. This article presents an overview on the research progress in the molecular signaling pathways, molecular pathogenesis, and gene therapy of ED.
Biomedical Research ; Erectile Dysfunction ; genetics ; therapy ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Penile Erection ; genetics ; Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Quality of Life ; Signal Transduction

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) can provoke the apoptosis of retinal cells and downregulate the expression of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) in the retina.Capsaicin promotes the release of CGRP and elicits protective effects on human organs.However,whether CGRP protects retinal cells in diabetic retinopathy (DR) is still unclear.Objective The study was designed to examine the effect of capsaicin on the apoptosis of retinal cells in diabetic rats and its relationship with CGRP.Methods Forty clean healthy adult male Sprague-Dawey rats were randomly divided into the diabetes group,capsaicin pretreated group,streptozocin (STZ)control group,capsaicin control group and plain control group,with 8 rats per group.The diabetic model was established by the intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg in all rats except those of the plain control group.0.4 mL of a 1％ capsaicin injected at 20 mg/kg was subcutaneously injected for 3 consecutive days prior to model establishment in the capsaicin pretreated group,after which 1.2 mL of STZ was intraperitoneally injected on the fourth day.Rats from the STZ control group were administered intraperitoneally 1.2 mL of 0.1 mol/L,pH 4.5,citrate buffer.The capsaicin control group received subcutaneous injections of 0.4 mL of 1％ capsaicin at 20 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days,after which 1.2 mL of 0.1 mol/L,pH 4.5,citrate buffer was administered intraperitoneally.The rats were sacrificed at the tenth week after model establishment and retinal specimens were prepared for the apoptosis assay by TUNEL staining and the quantitative analysis of caspase-3 activity.Expression of CGRP in the retina and serum was detected using ELISA.The use of experimental animals followed the Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.Results Retinal cell apoptosis was mainly localized to the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer.The apoptosis rate of RGCs was (43.4±5.0)％ in the DR model group and (30.0±5.1)％ in the capsaicin pretreated group,showing a significant difference (t =5.930,P＜0.01).Compared with the DR model group and capsaicin pretreated group,the apoptosis rates of the DR control group (12.4±9.9) ％ and the capsaicin control group (17.6-±6.1) ％ were significantly lower (t =8.800,t =4.925,P＜0.01).The apoptosis rate of the plain control group was (16.2±6.9)％,exhibiting significant differences in comparison with the DR control group and capsaicin control group (t =-0.989,t =0.951,P＞0.05).The specific activity of caspase-3 was (2.19±0.86) in the DR model group and (1.96±0.56) in the capsaicin pretreated group,presenting a significant difference (t =-0.515,P＜0.05).Those of the DR control group and capsaicin control group were (1.47±0.14) and (0.74±0.27),respectively,with considerable decline in comparison with the DR model group and capsaicin pretreated group (t=2.142,t=2.797,P＜0.05).The retinal and serum CGRP levels were (424.4±44.2)and (148.8±39.1) ng/L,respectively,displaying significantly lower levels than (543.2±74.4) and (237.5±78.7) ng/L (t =3.070,2.359,P＜0.05) from the capsaicin pretreated group.Conclusions Apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells occurs in the STZ-induced diabetic rats.Pretreatment of capsaicin reduces retinal cell apoptosis,which may be associated with an increase of CGRP in the retina.

Objective To detect the expression of EGF mRNA in renal parenchyma in congenital hydronephrosis in children and to evaluate the role of EGF in causing chronic renal damage. Methods The expression of EGF mRNA in renal parenchyma, renal pelvis and PUJ tissues from congenital hydronephrosis in children was studied by means of RT PCR. Results The expression of EGF in the aff ected renal parenchyma and PUJ tissues decreased.It also decreased in the affected pelvis but the difference was not significant. The decrease of EGF expression was the most obvious in the affected renal parenchyma. Conclusions EGF expression decreased in renal parenchyma in congenital hydronephrosis and the decrease might be related to the chronic renal damage and renal atrophy caused by hydronephrosis.

Aim To investige the protective effect of FMCL on the apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by H_2O_2 and its mechanisms.Methods Apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by H_2O_2 at the concentration of 0.5 mmol?L~(-1).The cell activity was determined by MTT.The morpholog changes were observed by invert microscope.DNA ladder was observed through agarose gel electrophoresis.The subdiploid peaks showing cell apoptosis rate and △?m were detected by flow cytometry.Results Compared with those of the Model group the cell activity of FMCL 100、30 mg?L~(-1) group reinforced,the injury of the cell relieved.The apoptosis rate of those two groups decreased,but the△?m and the cell activity increased in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion FMCL can inhibit the apoptosis of PC12 induced by H_2O_2 which might be correlated with the increasion of △?m.

With the increasing incidence and prevalence of male sexual dysfunction, andrologists are more and more in need of accurate and efficient tools to assess therapeutic efficacy and patients' satisfaction and to help patients achieve satisfactory treatment results. This article summarizes some of the most commonly used questionnaires for the diagnosis and assessment of the treatment of male sexual dysfunction, including International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), Erection Hardness Score (EHS), Quality of Erection Questionnaire (QEQ), Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS), Treatment Satisfaction Scale (TSS), Self-Esteem and Relationship (SEAR), Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP), Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT), Index of Premature Ejaculation (IPE), Arabic Index of Premature Ejaculation (AIPE), Aging Male Symptoms Scale (AMS), Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (ADAM), and Symptomatic Inventory for Screening Late-Onset Hypogonadism in Males (SILOH), and presents an overview on their clinical application.
Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cold Temperature ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Hydrocortisone ; blood ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Swine

Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Costs and Cost Analysis ; Drug Prescriptions ; statistics & numerical data ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Materia Medica ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Nonprescription Drugs ; therapeutic use

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Background Acute stress can provoke the apoptosis of retina cells and induce increasing expression of calcitonin gene related peptide(CGRP)in retina.However,the role of CGRP in pathology of the stressinduced apoptosis of the retina ceils is still elusive.Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of endogenous CGRP on retinal cell apoptosis induced by stress of acute myocardial ischemia after coronary artery occlusion in rats. Methods The acute myocardial ischemia model was established by ligating the left anterior descending branch of coronary artery in 12 male Sprague-Dawley rats.The rats were randomized into CGRP8-37 injection group and normal saline injection group,6 rats 12 eyes for every group.CGRP8-37(10-7 mol/L),a specific antagonist of CGRP receptor,was intravenously injected in CGRP8-37 group by caudal vine at 15 minutes prior to the coronary artery occlusion,and the equivalent amount of normal saline was used at the same fashion in normal saline group.The retinal samples of the rats were collected at 3 hours after coronary artery occlusion for TUNEL staining and caspase-3 activity detection respectively. Results The cellular displacement was observed in inner and outer nuclear layer,and vacuolar degeneration of retinal ganglion cells was found in the coronary artery occlusion animals.The total apoptosis index of retinal cells in CGRP8-37 group was significantly higher than that in normal saline group (42.8％±2.8％ vs 37.5％±2.9％,t=-3.244,P<0.01).The retinal capase-3 activity was significantly enhanced in the CGRP8-37 group compared with saline group(11.3±3.1 fold vs 4.9±1.2 fold,t=-4.603,P<0.01)at 3 hours of coronary artery occlusion.Conclusion The results suggest that the endogenous CGRP may play an anti-apoptotic role in the stress.induced retinal cell injury.

With the development of functional genomics, high throughput analysis of genes’ function has been the mainstream of research, and exogenous gene's over expression via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is the most commonly used method in gene functional analysis.The versatile plant expression vector cassette named pBHT-5 was constructed by the method of site-specific mutagenesis based on pBI121. First of all, the restriction enzyme SfiI recognition site in trfA gene (X00713) which was relevant to plasmid replication and stability was replaced without changing its amino acid composition. And then the SfiIA,SfiIB sites were added between promoter CaMV35s and terminator NOS. The versatile plant expression vector cassette can be directly used to construct plant expression vector containing the full-length genes cloned by Clontech SMARTTM technology, which will raise the efficiency of vector construction. The result will provide basis of new genes’ high throughput screening and functional analysis, then get the new genes functioning in plant osmotic stress resistance.