title: [Expressions of CSE and CBS in the corpus cavernosum of spontaneous hypertensive rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expressions of cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE) and cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) in the corpus cavernosum of spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) and their relationship with erectile dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 10 male SHRs and 10 healthy male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats as controls, all aged 12 weeks. We applied a series of electric stimuli to the major pelvic ganglions of the rats, observed changes in the ratio of intracavernosal to mean arterial blood pressure (ICP/MAP), measured the levels of serum testosterone (T) and endogenous H2S, and determined the expressions of CSE and CBS in the corpus cavernosum by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No obvious difference was found in the serum T level between the two groups. Compared with the WKY rats, the SHRs showed significant reduction in the ICP/MAP ratio, the contents of plasma H2S ([21.92 +/- 2.75] micromol/L vs [10.49 +/- 1.35] micromol/L, P < 0.05) and endogenous corpus cavernosal H2S ([87.67 +/- 2.12] nmol/mg prot vs [52.60 +/- 3.44] nmol/mg prot, P < 0.05), the level of endogenous H2S synthesis ([4.35 +/- 0.32] nmol/mg per min vs [1.14 +/- 0.07] nmol/mg per min, P < 0.05) and the expressions of CBS and CSE (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed that CSE and CBS were distributed mainly in the smooth muscle cells and vascular endothelial cells of the corpus cavernosum. The ICP/MAP ratio was highly positively correlated with the expressions of CSE (r = 0.977, P < 0.05) and CBS (r = 0.955, P < 0.05) in the corpus cavernosal tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertension inhibits endogenous H2S synthesis by suppressing the expressions of CSE and CBS in the corpus cavernosum, which might be related with hypertension-induced reduction of erectile function.
authors: Center of Medical Experiments, The Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China. 231157147@qq.com
authors: Xiu-Bo
authors: XB
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Vascular Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Jiang
authors: Center of Medical Experiments, The Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D003542:Cystathionine gamma-Lyase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000097:blood; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
chemical_list: D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase; D003542:Cystathionine gamma-Lyase; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide