Injection of skeletal muscle-derived cells into the penis improves erectile function.
We investigated the effect of intrapenile injection of muscle-derived cells (MDC) on the erectile function in rats with bilateral cavernous nerve injury. Rat MDC were harvested and transduced with a retrovirus expressing the lacZ gene. Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) (20 microl) or MDC (1 x 10(6) cells/side) were injected in each corpora cavernosa immediately before bilateral cavernous nerve transection. Intracavernous pressures (ICP) were measured 2 or 4 weeks after surgery with electrical stimulation of the pelvic nerves. Mean maximal ICP of sham group was significantly lower than that of control group both at 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. When MDC were injected into the penis, ICP improved over the sham-injected group at both 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. Percent area of PGP 9.5 staining was significantly greater in MDC-injected penis than in sham-injected at 2 and 4 weeks. Penile MDC injection can facilitate recovery of injured penile innervation and improve erectile function.
Kim
Y
Y
Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
de Miguel
F
F
Usiene
I
I
Kwon
D
D
Yoshimura
N
N
Huard
J
J
Chancellor
M B
MB
D000818:Animals; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology*; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology*; D010413:Penis / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley