Effects of male silkworm pupa powder on the erectile dysfunction by chronic ethanol consumption in rats.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a highly prevalent disorder that affects millions of men worldwide. ED is now considered an early manifestation of atherosclerosis, and consequently, a precursor of systemic vascular disease. This study was designed to investigate the effects of male silkworm pupa powder (SWP) on the levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression, nitrite, and glutathione (GSH); lipid peroxidation; libido; and erectile response of the corpus cavernosum of the rat penis. We induced ED in the study animals by oral administration of 20% ethanol over 8 weeks. The SWP-treated male rats were divided into 3 groups that were orally administered 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg. The libido of the SWP-administered male rats was higher than that of the ethanol control group. In addition, the erectile response of the corpus cavernosum was restored in males on SWP administration, to a level similar to that of the normal group without ED. The testosterone concentration did not increase significantly. The lipid peroxidation in the corpus cavernosum of the male rats administered SWP decreased significantly. In contrast, compared to the ethanol group, SWP-administered male rats showed increased GSH levels in the corpus cavernosum. The level of nitrite and NOS expression in the corpus cavernosum of SWP-administered male rats increased significantly. These results indicated that SWP effectively restored ethanol-induced ED in male rats.
Huvet Co. Ltd, Iksan, Korea.
Hong-Geun
HG
Oh
Hak-Yong
HY
Lee
Jung-Hoon
JH
Kim
Young-Rye
YR
Kang
Dea-In
DI
Moon
Min-Young
MY
Seo
Hyang-Im
HI
Back
Sun-Young
SY
Kim
Mi-Ra
MR
Oh
Soo-Hyun
SH
Park
Min-Gul
MG
Kim
Ji-Young
JY
Jeon
Sook-Jeong
SJ
Shin
Kang-Sun
KS
Ryu
Soo-Wan
SW
Chae
Okjin
O
Kim
Jong-Kwan
JK
Park