PS-04-002 Long-term low-intensity electrostimulation of injured cavernosal nerve improves erectile function recovery in a rat model of postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction

Radical prostatectomy often leads to neurogenic erectile dysfunction due to inevitable periprostatic nerve damage. It has been shown recently that low-frequency electrostimulation (ES) may accelerate and enhance peripheral nerve regeneration. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated and cavernosal nerves (CN) regeneration by ES has never been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate if local long-term ES can improve injured CN regeneration and restore erectile function (EF) in a well-established rat model of postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (300 to 350g) were anesthetized and the bilateral CN bundles were exposed and injured by a crush technique of 2x2min using a hemostat clamp with a pressure of 2 clicks. A bipolar implantable electrode was placed on the injury site and low-intensity ES (3V intensity, 0.1ms pulse duration, 12Hz frequency) was applied or not (control group) for 1h per day during 7 days. Sham group had the nerve bundles exposed only. EF was assessed after one week by measuring the continuous intracavernosal pressure (ICP) in response to electrical stimulation using the same implanted electrodes.