Figure 2
Adenoviral COMP-Ang1 gene or COMP-Ang1 protein transfer restores intracavernous pressure (ICP) and cavernous tissue blood flow elicited by electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve.
(a) Representative ICP responses for age-matched control (C) or hypercholesterolemic mice stimulated at 2 and 8 weeks after intracavernous injection of ad-LacZ (L, 2 × 108 parts/20 μl), BSA (B, 5.88 μg/20 μl), ad-COMP-Ang1 (CA, 2 × 108 parts/20 μl), COMP-Ang1 protein (CP, 5.88 μg/20 μl), or cholesterol diet only (CH). The stimulus interval is indicated by a solid bar. (b–d) Ratios of mean maximal ICP, total ICP (area under the curve) and slope to mean systolic blood pressure (MSBP) were calculated for each group. Each bar depicts the mean ± SEM for n = 8 animals per group. One-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. (b) Ratio of maximal ICP to MSBP. *p <0.01 vs C, CA and CP groups, #p <0.01 vs CH, L and B groups. (c) Ratio of total ICP (area under the curve) to MSBP. *p <0.01 vs C, CA and CP groups, #p <0.01 vs CH, L and B groups. (d) Ratio of slope to MSBP. *p <0.01 vs C and CA groups, †p <0.01 vs C group, ‡p <0.05 vs CA and CP groups, ##p <0.01 vs CH, L and B groups, #P <0.05 vs CH, L and B groups. (e, f) Laser-Doppler flowmetric analyses for cavernous tissue blood flow responses. Each bar depicts the mean ± SEM for n = 4 animals per group. One-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. (e) Two weeks after treatment. *p <0.01 vs C, CA and CP groups, #p <0.01 vs CH, L and B groups. (f) Eight weeks after treatment. *p <0.01 vs C and CA groups, #p <0.01 vs CH, L and B groups, ##p <0.05 vs CH, L and B groups, **p <0.01 vs C group, †p <0.01 vs C, CA and CP groups, ‡p <0.05 vs C and CA groups.
