title: [Changes of morphology and erectile function of the cavernous tissues in spontaneously hypertensive rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes of morphology and erectile function of the cavernous tissues in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spontaneously hypertensive male rats (SHR) (n = 15) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) (n = 15) were studied for 20 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured weekly by the tail/cuff method. Erectile function was tested by injecting apomorphine (APO). The expression alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and collagen III was examined by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SHR showed a higher systolic blood pressure (205.7 +/- 11.9 vs 114.3 +/- 10.2 mm Hg) and a lower erection frequency (0.6 +/- 0.5 vs 2.4 +/- 0.6). The expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and collagen III in the cavernous tissues in the SHR was significantly higher than in the WKY.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The erectile function of the penis is markedly affected by hypertension, and the pathological changes may be one of the most important mechanisms of decreased erectile function in SHR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li-Quan
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xin-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Shi-Wen
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhi-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bin-Qun
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology*; D010413:Penis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D001058:Apomorphine; D024061:Collagen Type III; C498862:Acta2 protein, rat