title: The effect of PnTx2-6 protein from Phoneutria nigriventer spider toxin on improvement of erectile dysfunction in a rat model of cavernous nerve injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the therapeutic potential of PnTx2-6 injected 3 times a week for 4 weeks into the intracavernosal tissue in a rat model of bilateral cavernous nerve crush injury (BCNI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following 6 groups (n = 5 per group): age-matched control (normal group), BCNI (injury group), post-BCNI phosphate-buffered saline injection (PBS group), post-BCNI Sf9 cell-lysate injection (N/C group), post-BCNI injection of cell lysate from S9 cells infected with wild-type recombinant baculovirus (W/T group), and post-BCNI injection of cell lysate from S9 cells infected with recombinant baculovirus containing PnTx2-6 (PnTx2-6 group). Injections were delivered 3 times a week for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, intracavernosal pressure-to-mean arterial pressure ratio, smooth muscle and collagen content via the Masson trichrome staining, levels of neural nitric oxide synthase, phosphoendothelial nitric oxide synthase, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate were all measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PnTx2-6 group showed significantly higher intracavernosal pressure-to-mean arterial pressure ratio (P <.05), smooth muscle-to-collagen ratio (P <.01), expression levels of neural nitric oxide synthase, phosphoendothelial nitric oxide synthase (P <.05), and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (P <.05) than all other experimental groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that PnTx2-6 improved erectile function and prevented muscle atrophy in a rat model of BCNI via increased synthesis of nitric oxide and cyclic guanosine monophosphate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ae Ryang
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Shuyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Hyun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kshitiz Raj
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Shrestha
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Hoo
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sae Woong
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Kon
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyengbuk, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Hean
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. Electronic address: uroljy@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Ji Youl
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004727:Endothelium / Q000473:pathology; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007313:Insecta; D008297:Male; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects; D010413:Penis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*; D013112:Spiders
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D013111:Spider Venoms; C076902:Tx2 neurotoxin; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; D006152:Cyclic GMP