title: Sinusoidal constriction and vascular hypertrophy in the diabetes-induced rabbit penis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the morphological changes of penile vascular structures and the corpus cavernosum area in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty male rabbits (2 months old) were divided into two groups with 10 rabbits each, the control group (CG) and the diabetic group (DG). The animals from DG received an intravenous injection of alloxan (100mg/kg) to induce the diabetes. Ten weeks after the induction of diabetes, all animals were euthanized. Two fragments of the penile shaft were harvested and samples were processed and paraffin embedded. Sections (5 µm) were cut and stained for histological and immunohistochemical markers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nuclear protrusion toward the lumen, and cytoplasmic vacuolization were observed in the tunica intima of the dorsal artery of the penis in DG. The thicknesses of the tunica media increased significantly in DG (p = 0.0350). It was also observed a significant increase in the area of the tunica media (p = 0.0179). There was no significant change in smooth muscle cell density in the tunica media of the dorsal artery of the penis (p = 0.0855). The collagen fiber pattern of the tunica adventitia of the dorsal artery of the penis was different between the control and diabetic groups. There was a significant decrease in the area occupied by the cavernous sinuses in DG (p = 0.0013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in rabbits promotes important changes in penile vascular structures, thereby decreasing blood supply and affecting penile hemodynamics, leading to erectile dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Urogenital Research Unit. State University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vivian Alves
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abidu-Figueiredo
authors.forename: Marco Aurelio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pereira-Sampaio
authors.forename: Mauricio Alves
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chagas
authors.forename: Waldemar Silva
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Francisco J B
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Sampaio
mesh_terms: D000496:Alloxan; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000473:pathology; D010410:Penile Erection; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply*; D011817:Rabbits; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D000496:Alloxan