Table 1.
Sequences and ideal concentrations for the primers used in qRT-PCR.
Fig 1.
(A) Contractile responses to EFS (1–32 Hz) and (B) representative tracings of contractile response to EFS in corpus cavernosum strips from control and SCD mice. Data are shown in mN, and represent the mean ± SEM of 5 to 6 mice in each group. (C) mRNA expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in the homogenates of corpus cavernosum from control and SCD mice. (D) Representative blotting densitometric of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) phosphorylated at Ser31 (p-TH), total TH and β-actin in the homogenates of corpus cavernosum from control and SCD mice detected by Western blotting. Protein values for (E) p-TH/total TH and (F) total TH/β-actin. Data represent the mean ± SEM of 4–5 mice in each group. Single asterisk indicates p <0.05 vs control group. Double asterisks indicate p <0.01 vs control group. (Student’s unpaired t-test).
Fig 2.
(A) Contractile responses to phenylephrine and (B) representative tracings of contractile response to phenylephrine in corpus cavernosum strips from control and SCD mice. Data are shown in mN, and represent the mean ± SEM of 5 to 6 mice in each group. mRNA expressions of (C) α1A- (D), α1B- (E), α1D-adrenoceptors in corpus cavernosum from control and SCD mice. The mRNA expression level of each gene was normalized by GAPDH and β-actin expression. Data represent the mean ± SEM of 5 mice in each group. Values are expressed in arbitrary units (A.U.). Single asterisk indicates p <0.05 vs control group. (Student’s unpaired t-test).
Table 2.
Potency (pEC50) and maximal response (Emax) values obtained from concentration–response curves for phenylephrine (PE; 10−8 to 3 x 10−4 M), acetylcholine (ACh; 10−9 to 10−5 M), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 10−8 to 10−5 M) in cavernosal strips from control and SCD mice.
Data represent the mean ± S.E.M. for 6 to 9 mice in each group.
Fig 3.
(A) Concentration-response relaxing curves to ACh, (B) SNP in corpus cavernosum strips from control and SCD mice. Data were calculated relative to the maximal changes from the contraction produced by phenylephrine (10−5 M for control mice and 3 × 10−6 M for SCD mice) in each tissue, which was taken as 100%. Data represent the mean ± SEM for 6 to 9 mice in each group. Single asterisk indicates p <0.01 vs control group. (Student’s unpaired t-test).
Fig 4.
(A) Relaxation responses to EFS in corpus cavernosum strips from control and SCD mice. (B) Representative tracings of the relaxation response to EFS. Data were calculated relative to the maximal changes from the contraction produced by phenylephrine (10−5 M for control mice and 3 × 10−6 M for SCD mice) in each tissue, which was taken as 100%. Data represent the mean ± SEM of 5 to 8 mice in each group. Single asterisk indicates p <0.05 vs control group. Double asterisks indicate p <0.01 vs control group. Triple asterisks indicate p <0.001 vs control group. (Student’s unpaired t-test).
Fig 5.
(A) mRNA expressions of eNOS, (B) nNOS and (C) PDE5 in corpus cavernosum from control and SCD mice. The mRNA expression level of each gene was normalized by GAPDH and β-actin expression. Data represent the mean ± SEM of 5 mice in each group. Values are expressed in arbitrary units (A.U.). Single asterisk indicates p <0.05 vs control group. (Student’s unpaired t-test).
Fig 6.
Reactive-oxygen species levels through hydroethidine-induced fluorescence in corpus cavernosum from control and SCD mice.
(A) Representative and (B) quantitative analysis for hydroethidine-fluorescence photomicrographs of microscopic sections of corpus cavernosum. Data represent the mean ± SEM of 6 mice in each group. Single asterisk indicates p <0.05 vs control group. (Student’s unpaired t-test).