title: Evaluation of vitamin E in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in aged rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aims to elucidate the role of oxidative stress in erectile dysfunction associated with aging and to investigate the effect of treatment with vitamin E in this respect.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were divided into four groups: young (3-month-old), aged rats (18-month-old), aged rats given 80 IU of vitamin E/rat/day for 21-days, aged rats given 5mg/kg of sildenafil/day for 21-days. Intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP), nitric oxide production, TBARS, GSH levels and SOD activity in corpus cavernosum were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant decrease in ICP/MAP was observed in aged rats at both low and high frequency of stimulation. Significant increase in ICP/MAP was observed in aged rats treated with vitamin E over the range of 0.8 to 5 Hz but young control values were not restored. Percentage potentiation of ICP/MAP than aged group at 0.8 Hz was 326±41.3% and 897±72.2% for vitamin E and sildenafil respectively. Decreased levels of NO(2)/NO(3) and SOD activity in the penile tissue observed with aging were elevated back to control by either vitamin E or sildenafil. Penile concentration of TBARS was 20.86±0.83 for aged rats vs. 11.39±0.79 nmol/g tissue for young controls. Both vitamin E and sildenafil reduced penile TBARS in aged rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study proves that antioxidant therapy with vitamin E ameliorates the age-associated erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil may exert some antioxidant properties which add to the advantages of its long-term use. The effect of combinations of low-dose sildenafil and vitamin E on age-associated erectile dysfunction merits to be studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy-Alexandria University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mai M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Helmy
authors.forename: Amira M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Senbel
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011687:Purines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014810:Vitamin E; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate