Effects of alcohol intake on penile structure and function in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of alcohol intake on penile structure and function in rats.


METHODS
Thirty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: control group and alcohol intake group. They were administered with 2 mL of normal saline and 40% alcohol solution respectively through gastric tubes every day. Three months later, the animal model of alcohol intake was evaluated by modified Nayagida's method, and the effects of alcohol on the rats were studied by sexual behavior, the number of apomorphine-induced penile erection, level of testosterone in the sera, and the content of penile smooth muscle.


RESULTS
The scores of animal model of alcohol intake evaluated by Nayagida's method were 0.66 +/- 2.05 in the control group and 9.26 +/- 5.50 in the alcohol intake group (P < 0.05), which indicated that an animal model of alcohol intake was successfully established. Sexual behavior, the number of apomorphine-induced penile erection, testosterone level in the sera, and the content of penile smooth muscle of the alcohol intake group were all statistically different as compared with the control group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol intake induces sexual dysfunction in rats, which may be due to the decline of testosterone level in the sera and decline of penile smooth muscle.
Gan
Xiu-guo
XG
Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001.
Shi
Xue-ming
XM
Liu
Rui
R
An
Rui-hua
RH
Wang
Yong-quan
YQ
D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D000431:Ethanol; D013739:Testosterone