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CALORIE RESTRICTION REVERSES THE AGE-RELATED ALTERATION OF CAVERNOUS NEUROVASCULAR STRUCTURE IN THE RAT

Login to Access Video or Poster Abstract: MP45-18
Sources of Funding: This study was supported by the NRF grant funded by the MSIP (Ji-Kan Ryu, 2016R1A2B2010087), Republic of Korea.

Introduction

Four groups of rats were used: young rats (7 months) + ad-libitum, old rats (22 months) + ad-libitum, young rats + CR diet, and old rats + CR diet. The ad-libitum group had free access to both food and water and CR groups were fed 60% of the food intake of their ad-libitum littermates, for 6 weeks before decapitation. The penis was harvested and stained with antibodies to vWF, smooth muscle α-actin, PDGFR-β, neurofillament, and S100. We also performed Masson trichrome staining and TUNNEL assay. The blood samples were collected for the measurement of plasma testosterone level.

Methods

Four groups of rats were used: young rats (7 months) + ad-libitum, old rats (22 months) + ad-libitum, young rats + CR diet, and old rats + CR diet. The ad-libitum group had free access to both food and water and animals in the CR groups were fed 60% of the food intake of their ad-libitum littermates, for 4 weeks. The penis was harvested and stained with antibodies to vWF, smooth muscle α-actin, PDGFR-β, neurofillament, and S100. We also performed Masson trichrome staining and TUNNEL assay. The blood samples were collected for the measurement of plasma testosterone level.

Results

The contents of endothelial cell, smooth muscle cells, pericytes, and neuronal cells as well as serum testosterone levels were significantly lower in old rats than in their young littermates. In old rats, but not in young rats, CR diet significantly restored cavernous endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, pericytes, and neuronal cell contents; increased plasma testosterone level; and decreased endothelial cell apoptosis and cavernous fibrosis as determined by the ratio of collagen to smooth muscle contents.

Conclusions

CR diet successfully improved age-related derangements in penile neurovascular structures. Along with a variety of life style modifications, our study gave us a scientific rationale to use CR diet as a non-pharmaceutical strategy for treating or preventing erectile dysfunction in aged men.

Funding

This study was supported by the NRF grant funded by the MSIP (Ji-Kan Ryu, 2016R1A2B2010087), Republic of Korea.

Authors
Anita Limanjaya
Kang Moon Song
Min Ji Choi
Kalyan Ghatak
Nhat Minh Nguyen
Guo Nan Yin
Ji Kan Ryu
Jun Kyu Suh
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