title: Effects of alcohol intake on penile structure and function in rats.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001.
authors.forename: Xiu-guo
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Xue-ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Rui-hua
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Yong-quan
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D013739:Testosterone