title: Decreased Endogenous Hydrogen Sulfide Generation in Penile Tissues of Diabetic Rats with Erectile Dysfunction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenous gasotransmitter. The levels of H2S-generating enzyme expression and endogenous H2S production in diabetic rats with erectile dysfunction (ED) remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the H2S-generating enzymes and endogenous production of H2S in penile tissues of diabetic ED rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental rats were randomly divided into normal control group, apomorphine (APO)-positive group and APO-negative group. Primary rat corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) and aortic endothelial cells (AECs) were isolated and cultured in vitro under 3 different conditions: normal glucose (NG) condition, high glucose (HG) condition, and osmotic control (OC) condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Erectile function; H2S concentrations in plasma or penile tissues; expression of H2S-generating enzymes and endogenous H2S production in penile tissues, CCSMCs, and AECs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Erectile function was significantly decreasedin the APO-negative group. In addition to significantly decreased expression of cysteine aminotransferase (CAT), d-amino acid oxidase (DAO), and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST), the H2S concentrations in plasma and penile tissues and endogenous H2S production were significantly decreased in the APO-negative group. Endogenous H2S production by cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) decreased to the same levels in the APO-negative and APO-positive groups as that in the normal control group. However, CBS and CSE expression remained unchanged in the 3 groups. Under HG conditions, H2S-generating enzyme expression in AECs did not change, while CAT, DAO, and 3-MST expression in CCSMCs was significantly decreased. In both cell types, H2S production by these enzymes was decreased in the HG group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endogenous H2S production was significantly decreased in the diabetic ED rats' penile tissues due to downregulated expression of the CAT/3-MST and DAO/3-MST pathways and low activities of CBS and CSE.
authors: Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. Electronic address: yjun1985win@163.com.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Shao-Gang
authors: SG
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Ji-Hong
authors: JH
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Chun-Ping
authors: CP
authors: Yin
authors: Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Zhang-Qun
authors: ZQ
authors: Ye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D003542:Cystathionine gamma-Lyase / Q000378:metabolism*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D010413:Penis / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: C008366:3-mercaptopyruvic acid; D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase; D003542:Cystathionine gamma-Lyase; D003545:Cysteine; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide
keywords: Aortic Endothelial Cells; Corpus Cavernosum Smooth Muscle Cells; Erectile Dysfunction; Hydrogen Sulfide; Penile Tissues