Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactive nerves in diabetic penis. A comparison between streptozotocin-treated rats and man.
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) has been demonstrated by immunofluorescence histochemistry in nerves in human and rat penile tissue. A reduction in VIP-like immunoreactivity in nerves was revealed in tissue from streptozotocin-diabetic rats and a human diabetic with impotence. These results suggest that an impairment in the VIP-ergic innervation in penile tissue may be an important factor in the development of impotence in diabetes. They also support the view that the streptozotocin-treated rat is a useful experimental model for diabetic autonomic neuropathy.
D000818:Animals; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000294:innervation*; D051381:Rats; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000502:physiology*
D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide