[Growth hormone enhances regeneration of cavernous nerves after their transplantation in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of growth hormone (GH) on penile erection after reconstruction of cavernous nerves using sural nerve as an interposition nerve graft in rats.


METHODS
Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats (3-4 ms of age and 300-400 g in weight) were randomly divided into 2 groups: nerve graft group and GH group, each electrostimulated to determine the erectile potency 2 and 4 months after nerve graft (followed by hypodermic GH injection). The nNOS-positive nerve fibers in the corpora cavemosa were examined by streptavidin-peroxidase immunohistochemistry technique (SP method). Image analysis was used to calculate the area stained in pixel.


RESULTS
Electrostimulation at 2 months produced 31.25% of erections in the GH group but none in the grafted rats. There was a significant difference in the erection rate produced by electrostimulation between the two groups at 2 months (P < 0.05). The pixel of the expression of nNOS-positive nerve fibers in the GH group (38971 +/- 7692) was also greater than that of the graft group (16538 +/- 3179, P < 0.05). At 4 months, 43.75% of the graft group and 75% of the GH group produced erections upon electrostimulation, with no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The pixels of the expression of nNOS-positive nerve fibers were 79276 +/- 12,021 and 91348 +/- 18965, respectively (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
GH can accelerate the regeneration of cavernous nerves after bilateral nerve grafting, and GH administration may present a new physiological approach to the treatment of erectile dysfunction after radical pelvic surgery.
Cui
Dian-sheng
DS
Department of Urology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China. cuidiansheng@yahoo.com.cn
Zhang
Ke-liang
KL
Pei
Feng
F
Wei
Shao-zhongi
SZ
Hu
Li-quan
LQ
D000818:Animals; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000032:analysis; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects*; D010413:Penis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000294:innervation*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*
D013006:Growth Hormone; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase