Penile erection induces angiogenic, survival, and antifibrotic signals: molecular events associated with penile erection induced by cavernous nerve stimulation in mice.
To determine the molecular events related to penile erection in the corpus cavernosum tissue of mice after electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve.



Twelve-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were used in this study. Electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve was carried out to induce penile erection. Corpus cavernosum tissues were then harvested to determine the effect of nerve-induced penile erection on signaling pathway involved in angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, angiopoietin-1, matrix metalloproteinase 2, and matrix metalloproteinase 9), cell survival and proliferation (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, phospho-Akt/Akt, and phospho-ERK/ERK), and tissue fibrosis (phospho-Smad2/Smad2, phospho-Smad3/Smad3, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1).



Cavernous nerve stimulation enhanced the expression of factors involved in angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, angiopoietin-1, matrix metalloproteinase 2, and metalloproteinase 9), and activated intracellular signaling mediators related to cell survival and proliferation (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, phospho-Akt/Akt, and phospho-ERK/ERK), while suppressing the pathways involved in tissue fibrosis (phospho-Smad2/Smad2, phospho-Smad3/Smad3, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1).



Penile erection in mice is accompanied by the activation of a cascade of signaling pathways involved in angiogenesis, cell survival and proliferation, and antifibrosis. The present results might provide a theoretical and molecular basis for understanding the importance of penile rehabilitation and subsequent restoration of nocturnal or sexually-mediated penile erections.
National Research Center for Sexual Medicine and Department of Urology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Mi-Hye
MH
Kwon
National Research Center for Sexual Medicine and Department of Urology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Soo-Hwan
SH
Park
National Research Center for Sexual Medicine and Department of Urology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Kang-Moon
KM
Song
National Research Center for Sexual Medicine and Department of Urology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Kalyan
K
Ghatak
National Research Center for Sexual Medicine and Department of Urology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Anita
A
Limanjaya
Department of Urology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Changwon, Korea.
Dong-Soo
DS
Ryu
National Research Center for Sexual Medicine and Department of Urology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Jiyeon
J
Ock
Department of Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.|Inha Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Soon-Sun
SS
Hong
National Research Center for Sexual Medicine and Department of Urology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.|Inha Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Ji-Kan
JK
Ryu
National Research Center for Sexual Medicine and Department of Urology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
Jun-Kyu
JK
Suh
D000818:Animals; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology*; D010413:Penis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2
angiogenesis; antifibrosis; cell survival; molecular pathway; penile erection; penile rehabilitation