title: Erectile dysfunction occurs following substantia nigra lesions in the rat.
abstract: Erectile function was assessed 6 weeks following uni- and bilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine in the substantia nigra nucleus of the brain. Behavioral apomorphine-induced penile erections were reduced (5/8) and increased (3/8) in uni- and bilateral lesioned animals. Intracavernous pressures, following electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve, decreased in lesioned animals. Lesions of the substantia nigra were confirmed by histology. Concentration of dopamine and its metabolites were decreased in the striatum of substantia nigra lesioned rats. Lesions of the substantia nigra are therefore associated with erectile dysfunction in rats and may serve as a model to study erectile dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Lady Davis Institute of the Jewish General Hospital, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zahran
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Simmerman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carrier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vachon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009420:Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D016627:Oxidopamine; D010410:Penile Erection; D010413:Penis / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D011312:Pressure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013378:Substantia Nigra
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D016627:Oxidopamine; D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine