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Sexual dysfunction

Rodent models of diabetic ED

Nature Reviews Urology volume 9, page 669 (2012)Cite this article

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Erectile dysfunction (ED) is commonly reported in men with diabetes. Diabetic ED occurs at an earlier age than in the general population and is often refractory to treatment with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors. This lack of response is thought to be due to either a more severe form of endothelial dysfunction observed in diabetic men compared with nondiabetic patients or via overactivation of the ROCK/RhoA signalling pathway. Treatment is currently focused on symptomatic relief and not cure. However, two recent studies published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine have investigated alternative therapeutic strategies and mechanisms for diabetic ED using rodent models, and one may possibly offer hope of a cure for diabetic ED using stromal vascular fraction (SVF) as a source of stem cells.

The first study investigated the effect of freshly isolated SVF on cavernous endothelial regeneration and erectile function in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. SVF is a source of easily harvested multipotent stem cells and can promote neovascularization via differentiation into vascular endothelial cells or by secretion of angiogenic factors. SVF can be used as an alternative to adipose-tissue-derived stem cells (ADSC), which have been shown in previous studies to restore erectile function in rat models of diabetic ED.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS

  1. Ryu, J. K. et al. Intracavernous delivery of freshly isolated stromal vascular fraction rescues erectile function by enhancing endothelial regeneration in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse. J. Sex. Med. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02962.x

  2. Lim, M. et al. Apocynin improves erectile function in diabetic rats through regulation of NADPH oxidase expression. J. Sex. Med. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02960.x

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  1. Annette Fenner
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Fenner, A. Rodent models of diabetic ED. Nat Rev Urol 9, 669 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2012.205

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