title: Expression changes of transforming growth factor-beta1 and thrombospondin-1 in cavernous tissues of diabetic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) expression in the cavernous tissue of rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: diabetics and controls. We injected STZ intraperitoneally to induce diabetes, and studied the alterations in TGF-beta1 and TSP-1 expression in the cavernous tissue of the 2 groups by immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. HE staining was also applied to determine morphological changes. Weight, blood sugar and urine sugar were measured before and after model induction in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of TGF-beta1 and TSP-1 increased significantly in the cavernous tissue of the diabetic rats compared to the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TGF-beta1 and TSP-1 expression changes in cavernous tissues may play an important role in diabetic erectile dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Hangzhou, China. zxm @ zju.edu.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Pei-Hua
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Sai-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: He-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Junaid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Azad
authors.forename: Shu-Cai
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019700:Thrombospondin 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019700:Thrombospondin 1; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1