title: Effects of chronic low- and high-dose ethanol intake on the nitrergic relaxations of corpus cavernosum and penile nitric oxide synthase in the rabbit.
abstract: Epidemiological evidence showed that chronic ethanol consumption is a major risk factor in the development of impotence. The present study investigated the effects of carbachol-, electrical field stimulation (EFS)-, sodium nitroprusside (SNP)- and papaverine-induced relaxant responses in the isolated corpus cavernosum tissues from rabbits submitted to an 12-week course of chronic low (5% v/v) or high ethanol intake (30% v/v). Increased carbachol- and EFS-induced relaxant responses but not SNP and papaverine, were observed in low ethanol-fed rabbits compared with controls. However, impaired carbachol- and EFS-induced relaxant responses were observed in high ethanol-fed rabbits compared with control rabbits. There were no significant differences in SNP- and papaverine-induced relaxant responses between control and high ethanol-fed rabbits. In addition, decreased neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) immunoreactivity in penile tissue were found in high ethanol-fed rabbits, but increased the immunoreactivity in low ethanol-fed group, compared with control group. These results suggest that alterations in nitric oxide (NO) production within the cavernous tissue in the high ethanol-fed rabbits are, at least in part, responsible for the erectile dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazir
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gocmez
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Utkan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Komsuoglu-Celikyurt
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gacar
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sarioglu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000139:chemically induced; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000032:analysis*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000032:analysis; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000032:analysis; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D010208:Papaverine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010413:Penis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000431:Ethanol; D010208:Papaverine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III