title: [Nicotine reduces endogenous CO concentration and NOS activity in rat corpus cavernosum].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of nicotine on endogenous carbon monoxide (CO) concentration and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in the corpus cavernosum of adult male rats, and explore the possible mechanism of cigarette smoking affecting erectile dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty adult male rats were equally divided into three treatment groups to receive subcutaneous injection of nicotine at 0.5 mg/kg pre d for 1, 2 and 3 months, and a control group to receive saline only. After treatment, the corpus cavernosum was harvested for detection of CO concentration by modified two-wavelength spectrophotometry and NOS activity by improved Griess measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CO concentration and NOS activity were decreased by 9.05 and 13.37%, respectively, after 1 month of nicotine injection (P < 0.01), 16.47 and 22.5% after 2 months (P < 0.01), and 22.99 and 31.74% after 3 months (P < 0.01), as compared with (13.664 +/- 0.404) umol/mg prot and (9.721 +/- 0.470) U/mg prot in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nicotine can reduce endogenous CO concentration and NOS activity in the corpus cavernosum of adult male rats, which suggests the involvement of endogenous CO and NOS in the pathophysiological process of smoking-induced erectile dysfunction .
authors: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College, Chengde, Hebei 067000, China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Xu
authors: Wen-Bo
authors: WB
authors: Qin
authors: Man
authors: M
authors: Yu
authors: Zhi-Yong
authors: ZY
authors: Wang
authors: Ying-Hui
authors: YH
authors: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000633:toxicity*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010413:Penis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase