Chronic Administration of a LIMK2 Inhibitor Improves Cavernosal Veno-Occlusive Dysfunction Through Suppression of Cavernosal Fibrosis in a Rat Model of Erectile Dysfunction After Cavernosal Nerve Injury
April 2017
in “
The Journal of urology/The journal of urology
”
TLDR Long-term use of certain prostate drugs can worsen erectile dysfunction by changing penile tissue, especially in rats with high blood pressure.
The study investigated the effects of 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, specifically dutasteride and finasteride, on penile morphology in both normotensive and hypertensive rats. Sixty male rats were divided into six groups, with some receiving dutasteride or finasteride treatments for 40 days. The results showed that both drugs caused a significant reduction in the cross-sectional penile area, smooth muscle surface density, and sinusoidal space in both normotensive and hypertensive rats, with more pronounced effects in hypertensive rats. Additionally, hypertensive rats treated with dutasteride had a significant increase in connective tissue and elastic system fibers compared to untreated hypertensive rats. The study concluded that hypertension leads to notable changes in penile structure and that 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors further modify penile morphology, with dutasteride having the most significant impact on the corpus cavernosum in this rodent model.
