The effects of resveratrol on intracavernosal pressure in hypercholesterolemic rats

AIMIn this study, the effect of preventive resveratrol treatment on intracavernosal pressure in rats that are on hypercholesterolemic diets was assessed using in vivo experimental methods.METHODSTwenty-one male Wistar rats were used in this study. With each group consisting of 7 rats, control, hypercholesterolemic and resveratrol groups were formed. The control group was kept on a normal diet, while the hypercholesterolemic and resveratrol groups were fed with a diet consisting of %1 cholesterol for 6 weeks. Resveratrol with a 25 micrograms/kg/day dose was given intraperitoneally to the Resveratrol group. For the first two weeks, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 3mg/mL) was added to the drinking water of the hypercholesterolemic and resveratrol groups, to increase the tendency to atherosclerosis. At the end of the study, plasma cholesterol levels and erectile responses of the rats were assessed. The cavernosal nerve was stimulated with frequency of 20 Hz/ms using 2.5 V, 5 V, 7.5 V for 1 minute, and intracavernosal pressure (ICP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and area under the curves (AUC) were recorded.RESULTSNone of the groups showed marked changes in their average body masses (p>0.05). There were significant improvements in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic and resveratrol groups with respect to the control group (p<0.001). There was a significant decrease in the levels of total and LDL cholesterol in resveratrol group comparing to the hypercholesterolemic group (p<0.01). There were significant statistical changes between ICP, ICP/MAP and AUC in cholesterol and resveratrol groups with a stimulation of 2.5 V (p=0.0338, p<0.0075, p<0.01).DISCUSSIONThe preventive effect of resveratrol on erectile responses was shown in vivo in hypercholesterolemic rat model for the first time. Because of the good effects of resveratrol on lipid profile, it is suggested that resveratrol is beneficial in cases of erectile dysfunction especially with vascular risk factors.Key words: Erectile dysfunction, hypercholesterolemia, in vivo, rat, resveratrol