Login to Access Video or Poster Abstract: MP45-10
Sources of Funding: Faperj, CAPES, CNPq

Introduction

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease in both normotensive and hypertensive man. Although 5-?-reductase inhibitors is the first line option for BPH treatment, some side effects are reported, including erectile dysfunction. Thus, the objective of the present study is to investigate the penile morphology in normotensive and hypertensive rats after 5-?-reductase inhibitors treatment.

Methods

Sixty male rats were assigned into 6 groups as following: WKY – group composed by untreated Wistar Kyoto rats (normotensive strain); WKY+D - Wistar Kyoto rats treated with dutasteride (0.5 mg/Kg/day); WKY+F - Wistar Kyoto rats treated with finasteride (5 mg/Kg/day); H - group composed by the strain of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR); H+D - SHR treated with dutasteride; H+F - SHR treated with finasteride. All treatments were given by gavage during 40 days after what the animals were killed and their penis were collected and processed for histomorphometrical analysis. Sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin were used to study the cross-sectional penile area, while Masson´s trichrome was used for study the surface density of smooth muscle fibers, connective tissue, and sinusoidal spaces of the corpus cavernosum. The surface density of elastic system fibers was studied in Weigert's resorcin fucsin stained section. The results were compared by one-way-ANOVA with Bonferroni´s post test, considering p>0.05 as significant.

Results

The cross-sectional penile area of normotensive animals that received dutasteride or finasteride was reduced by 39.9% and 40% in comparison to untreated normotensive animals. The connective tissue of H group was 13.7% higher than WKY, and H+D animals had an increase of 12.9% of connective tissue in comparison to untreated hypertensive animals. The sinusoidal space was reduced by 33.7% in H in comparison to WKY. In respect to the smooth muscle surface density, WKY+D showed a reduction of 26.1% in comparison to WKY, while both H+D and H+F showed reductions of 29.4 and 32.5% in comparison to untreated H. Despite no difference in the elastic system fibers surface density was observed between H and WKY, groups WKY+D, WKY+F, H+D, and H+F had an increase of 35,7%, 41,1% 82,6%, and 31,5% in comparison to WKY. Also, H+D showed a 45,8% increase in comparison to H.

Conclusions

Hypertension promoted important modifications on penile structure. Both 5-?-reductase inhibitors (dutasteride and finasteride) promoted modifications in penile morphology of normotensive and hypertensive rats, although these modifications were more prominent in hypertensive animals. Dutasteride was the drug that most affected the corpus cavernosum in this rodent model.

Funding

Faperj, CAPES, CNPq