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Cavernosal hydrogen sulfide levels are associated with nitric oxide and hemeoxygenase levels in diabetic rats

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Abstract

Penile erection is a neuromuscular event modulated by psyche, hormones as well as neurotransmitters. This pre-clinical study aimed to assess hydrogen sulfide (H2S) relationship with nitric oxide (NO) and hemeoxygenase (HO) in the cavernous tissues of diabetic rats. Overall, 90 adult male rats were investigated (6 groups, n = 15 each). They were subdivided into the following groups; untreated rats, rats treated with H2S donor/inhibitor, induced diabetic rats, diabetic rats treated with H2S donor/inhibitor. At the 6th week, the rats were killed to assess cavernous tissue cGMP, NO, H2S, HO enzyme activity levels. The rats treated with H2S donor showed increased mean cavernous tissue cGMP, NO, H2S, and HO enzyme activity levels whereas induced diabetic rats and rats treated with H2S inhibitor showed significant decreases in these parameters compared with the untreated rats. On the other hands, diabetic rats treated with H2S donor showed elevated mean cavernous tissue cGMP, NO, H2S, and HO enzyme activity levels whereas diabetic rats treated with H2S inhibitor showed significant decreases in these parameters compared with diabetic rats. Cavernous tissue H2S levels exhibited significant positive correlations with the cavernous tissue levels cGMP, NO, and HO enzyme activity levels. From these results, it could be concluded that cavernous tissues H2S plays a role of male sexual health by affecting cavernous tissues NO and HO enzyme activity in general and in diabetics in particular.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Andrology, Sexology & STIs, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Taymour Mostafa

  2. Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Laila Rashed

  3. Department of Andrology, Sexology & STIs, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt

    Nashaat Nabil, Ahmed F. Abo-sief, Mai M. Mohamed & Maroa S. Omar

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  1. Taymour Mostafa
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  2. Laila Rashed
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  3. Nashaat Nabil
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Correspondence to Taymour Mostafa.

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Mostafa, T., Rashed, L., Nabil, N. et al. Cavernosal hydrogen sulfide levels are associated with nitric oxide and hemeoxygenase levels in diabetic rats. Int J Impot Res 31, 105–110 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-018-0084-9

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