Dmso_a_205722 1705..1716

Hui Zhang 1 Wen-Ting Tong Chang-Rong Zhang Jun-Long Li Hao Meng Hai-Gan Yang Min Chen 1The First Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical College, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Andrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China Objective: To investigate the effect of gross saponins of Tribulus terrestris (GSTT) on erectile function in rats resulting from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DMED). Methods: The T2DMED model was constructed by high-fat and high-sugar feeding and streptozotocin injection. After 4 weeks of GSTT intervention. Intracavernous pressure (ICP) andmean arterial pressure (MAP) weremeasured in each group. The level of nitric oxide (NO) in the cavernous tissue was detected using the nitrate reductase method. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected using DHE fluorescent probe detection. Cyclic adenosinemonophosphate (cGMP) level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and endothelial nitricoxide synthase (eNOS) was detected using immunohistochemistry. Masson staining was used to detect the cavernosal smoothmuscle/collagen ratio. Apoptosis in endothelial cells was measured using TUNEL.Western blottingmethod to detect the protein expression level of eNOS, TIMP-1, cleaved caspase 3, and cleaved caspase 9. Results: After treatment, the ICP and ICP/MAP values of the GSTTwere significantly higher than those of the T2DMED group (P<0.05). Unlike the T2DMED group, the GSTT group showed significantly increased NO levels (P<0.05) and decreased ROS levels (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the GSTT group and the sildenafil group in increasing cGMP levels (P>0.05), and the mixed group had higher levels than these two groups (P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting showed that the expression of eNOS in the GSTT was significantly higher than that in the T2DMED groups (P<0.05). Masson staining showed that the smooth muscle/collagen ratio of the GSTT group was significantly higher than that of the T2DMED groups (P<0.05), the expression of TIMP-1 was lower than that of T2DMED group (P<0.05). TUNEL assay showed that the apoptotic index and cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved caspase 9 expression level of GSTT group were lower than that of the T2DMED group (P<0.05). Conclusion: GSTT can protect T2DMED rats’ erectile function by improving penile endothelial function and inhibiting cavernosum fibrosis, inhibiting apoptosis, and is synergistic with sildenafil.