Investigation of the protective effect of riociguat on cavernous bodies after cavernous nerve injury

The inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse is called erectile dysfunction. One of the reasons for erectile dysfunction may be radical prostatectomy surgery that may cause mechanical or thermal trauma as well as the transsection of the nerve. Trauma or transsection of the nerve leads to a decrease in nitric oxide and deterioration of erectile function which can be investigated through nitric oxide, guanylate cyclase, cGMP pathways, in the way to evaluate the effect of molecules. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the injury and riociguat on nitric oxide, guanylate cyclase, and cGMP pathways in the bilateral cavernous nerve transsection model created in rats. In this study, a total of 24 adult male Sprague Dawley type rats weighing 350-400 g were used (4 groups, 6 rats each). The cavernosal tissues obtained from the rats were studied pharmacologically in the isolated organ bath system. Also, the histological features of the penile tissues taken from the sacrificed rats were evaluated. The data obtained from adult male rats with bilateral cavernous nerve transsection model showed that riociguat has decreased the fibrosis process related to nerve injury and has protected the cavernousal activity, pharmacologically and histologically. The findings of the study led us to a hopeful conclusion that riociguat administration may have possible protective effects in erectile capacity in the presence of nerve injury. Key Words: Erectile dysfunction, riociguat, peripheral nerves, peripheral nerve injuries