Diabetic rats are unresponsive to the penile erection-inducing effect of intracerebroventriculary injected adrenocorticotropin.
The penile erection-inducing effect of intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) injected adrenocorticotropin-(1-24) [ACTH-(1-24)] (4 or 10 microg/animal) was almost completely absent in diabetic rats, either 8 days or 2 months after streptozotocin administration. The other behavioral symptoms (stretching, yawning, excessive grooming) were unevenly affected: stretching was significantly reduced either in early or in long-standing diabetes; yawning was practically absent in early diabetes and significantly reduced at the highest dose of ACTH-(1-24) in long-standing diabetes; grooming was reduced only at the highest dose of ACTH-(1-24), both in early and in long-standing diabetes. The fact that ACTH-induced penile erections (a centrally mediated effect) are practically absent even a few days after streptozotocin injection suggests that diabetes mellitus-induced penile dysfunction occurs, at least in part, through central mechanisms, and is not solely the consequence of peripheral nerve and vascular lesions.
Poggioli
R
R
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Modena, Italy. farmacol@unimo.it
Arletti
R
R
Benelli
A
A
Cavazzuti
E
E
Bertolini
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003366:Cosyntropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015000:Yawning / Q000187:drug effects
D003366:Cosyntropin