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Significant pancreatic islet dysfunction and loss shortly after transplantation to the liver limit the widespread implementation of this procedure in the clinic. Nonimmune factors such as reactive oxygen species and inflammation have been considered as the primary driving force for graft failure. The adipokine adiponectin plays potent roles against inflammation and oxidative stress. Previous studies have demonstrated that systemic administration of adiponectin significantly prevented islet loss and enhanced islet function at post-transplantation period. In vitro studies indicate that adiponectin protects islets from hypoxia/reoxygenation injury, oxidative stress as well as TNF-α-induced injury. By applying adenovirus mediated transfection, we now engineered islet cells to express exogenous adiponectin gene prior to islet transplantation. Adenovirus-mediated adiponectin transfer to a syngeneic suboptimal islet graft transplanted under kidney capsule markedly prevented inflammation, preserved islet graft mass and improved islet transplant outcomes. These results suggest that adenovirus-mediated adiponectin gene therapy would be a beneficial clinical engineering approach for islet preservation in islet transplantation.

Males with short penises may suffer from sexual dysfunction and psychological problems. However, currently, managing short penis is a huge challenge.To explore whether inhibition of lysyl oxidase (LOX) activity (anti-LOX) combined with a vacuum device could lengthen the penis of pubertal rat.Male rats of different ages were purchased, their exposed penile lengths and weights were measured, and protein expression and lysyl oxidase activity in the corpus cavernosum were analyzed. Fifteen-day-old rats were then purchased and divided into six groups: control, Anti-lysyl oxidase, -200 mm Hg (vacuum device under -200 mm Hg value), -200 mm Hg + Anti-lysyl oxidase, -300 mm Hg, and -300 mm Hg + Anti-lysyl oxidase groups. After the intervention duration of 7 weeks, rats' penile length was measured and erectile function was assessed. The corpus cavernosum was harvested for histopathology and molecular assessments.Exposed penile length and weight significantly increased with age, especially between 4 and 8 weeks. Both the protein expression and lysyl oxidase activity in corpus cavernosum were the highest at 2 weeks; however, they quickly decreased with age and slowly declined after 8 weeks. Anti-lysyl oxidase significantly increased the penile length by 10.79% over controlled rats, -200 mm Hg + Anti-lysyl oxidase lengthened it by 14.05%, and -300 mm Hg + Anti-lysyl oxidase increased it by 19.84%. Anti-lysyl oxidase significantly reduced lysyl oxidase activity to decrease pyridinoline concentration; however, it did not change desmosine (P = .28), hydroxyproline (P = .14), and total elastin (P = .06) levels. Anti-lysyl oxidase with or without a vacuum device did not diminish erectile function or impair the normal microstructure of corpus cavernosum.The rats' penile growth peaks occurred between 4 and 8 weeks. Anti-lysyl oxidase with a vacuum device promoted penile lengthening by inhibiting pyridinoline production to induce tunica albuginea remodeling. The penile lengthening effect was more obvious in pubertal rats than the adult rats. None of the procedures decreased erectile function.

Postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction (pPED) remains a current problem despite improvements in surgical techniques. Vacuum therapy is clinically confirmed as a type of pPED rehabilitation. However, its underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Recently, autophagy and apoptosis were extensively studied in erectile dysfunction resulting from diabetes, senescence, and androgen deprivation but not in the context of pPED and vacuum therapy. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the roles of autophagy and apoptosis in pPED and vacuum therapy. Twenty-four adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, bilateral cavernous nerve crush (BCNC) group, and BCNC + vacuum group. After 4 weeks of treatment, intracavernosal pressure was used to evaluate erectile function. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to measure the molecular expression. TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining was used to assess apoptosis. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe autophagosomes. After treatment, compared with those of the BCNC group, erectile function and cavernosal hypoxia had statistically significantly improved (P < 0.05). Apoptosis and the relative protein expression of B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X and cleaved Caspase3 were decreased (P < 0.05). Autophagy-related molecules such as phosphorylated unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 (Ser757) and p62 were decreased. Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 A/B, and autophagosomes were increased (P < 0.05). Besides, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway, as a negative regulator of autophagy to some degree, was inhibited. This study revealed that vacuum therapy ameliorated pPED in BCNC rats by inhibiting apoptosis and activating autophagy.

BACKGROUND Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are one of the most described urination disorders worldwide. Previous investigations have focused predominantly on the prospective identification of cases that meets the researchers criteria, the genuine demand as regard to LUTS and related issues from patients may thus be neglected. OBJECTIVE To examine the online search trend and behaviours related to LUTS on a national and regional scale using the dominant major search engine in mainland China. METHODS The Baidu Index was queried using the LUTS related terms for the period 2011.01–2020.09. The search volume for each term was recorded to analyze the search trend and demographic distributions. For user interest, the data of demand graph and trend data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS Of the 13 LUTS symptom domains, 11 domains are available in Baidu index database. The BSI for each LUTS domains varies from 37.78% to 1.47%. the search trend of urinary frequency (APC = 7.82%; p < .05; 2011-2018), incomplete emptying (APC = 17.74%; p < .05; 2011-2016), nocturia (APC = 11.54%; p < .05; 2011-2018), dysuria (APC = 20.77%; p < .05; 2017-2020) and incontinence (APC = 13.39%; p < .05; 2011-2016). The search index trends for the weak stream (APC = -4.68%; p < .05; 2011-2017, APC = 9.32%, p = 2.35, 2017-2020), split stream (APC = 9.50%; p = .44, 2011-2013, APC = 2.05%, p = .71, 2013-2020), urgency (APC = -2.63%; p = 1.17, 2011-2018, APC = 8.58%; p = .19, 2018-2020), nocturnal enuresis (APC = -4.20%; p = .62, 2011-2017, APC = 20.77%, p < .05, 2017-2020). The age distribution of the population of each LUTS symptom enquiries shows that the population aged 20 to 40 years comprised over 65% of the total search enquiries. Seconded is 5.2%- 21.50 % in the age group 40-49 years. People from the east part of china made over 50% of the total search queries. Further, most of these searches for LUTS symptom entries are related to those for urinary diseases in varying degrees. CONCLUSIONS Online interest in LUTS term fluctuated wildly and was reflected timely by Baidu index in china mainland. The online search popularity for each LUTS terms varie significantly and is differed from personal interest, population concerns, regional variations and gender. These data can be used by providers to track LUTS prevalence and population interests in guiding establish disease-specific healthcare policies and optimize the physician-patient healthcare sessions.

Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are one of the most commonly described urination disorders worldwide. Previous investigations have focused predominantly on the prospective identification of cases that meet the researchers’ criteria; thus, the genuine demands regarding LUTS from patients and related issues may be neglected. Objective: We aimed to examine web-based search trends and behaviors related to LUTS on a national and regional scale by using the dominant, major search engine in mainland China. Methods: Baidu Index was queried by using LUTS-related terms for the period of January 2011 to September 2020. The search volume for each term was recorded to analyze search trends and demographic distributions. For user interest, user demand graph data and trend data were collected and analyzed. Results: Of the 13 LUTS domains, 11 domains are available in the Baidu Index database. The Baidu search index for each LUTS domain varied from 37.78% to 1.47%. The search trends for urinary frequency (2011-2018: annual percent change APC=7.82%; P

Penile fibrosis caused by ischemic priapism (IP) adversely affects patients’ erectile function. We explored the role of lysyl oxidase (LOX) in rat and human penes after ischemic priapism (IP) to verify the effects of anti‐LOX in relieving penile fibrosis and preventing erectile dysfunction caused by IP in rats. Seventy‐two rats were randomly divided into six groups: control group, control + β‐aminopropionitrile (BAPN) group, 9 hrs group, 9 hrs + BAPN group, 24 hrs group, and 24 hrs + BAPN group. β‐aminopropionitrile (BAPN), a specific inhibitor of LOX, was administered in the drinking water. At 1 week and 4 weeks, half of the rats in each group were randomly selected for the experiment. Compared to the control group, the erectile function of IP rats was significantly decreased while the expression of LOX in the corpus cavernosum was significantly up‐regulated in both 9 and 24 hrs group. Proliferated fibroblasts, decreased corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells/collagen ratios, destroyed endothelial continuity, deposited abnormal collagen and disorganized fibers were observed in IP rats. The relative content of collage I and III was not obviously different among the groups. β‐aminopropionitrile (BAPN) could effectively improve the structure and erectile function of the penis, and enhance recovery. The data in this study suggests that LOX may play an important role in the fibrosis of corpus cavernosum after IP and anti‐LOX may be a novel target for patients suffering with IP.

This study aimed to explore whether and how anti-lysyl oxidase (anti-LOX) combined with a vacuum device (VD) could promote penile lengthening and to evaluate the effect on erectile function. This study was performed on four groups of adult rats: control, anti-LOX, VD (negative pressure value of -300 mmHg), and anti-LOX + VD. Penile length was measured by a modified VD method and verified on exposed length data. Intracavernous pressure (ICP) and maximum ICP/mean arterial pressure (MAP) ratio were recorded to assess erectile function. For corpus cavernosum, LOX activity and concentrations of pyridinoline, desmosine, hydroxyproline, and elastin were analyzed; transmission electron microscope and Hart's elastin staining were performed to monitor microstructural changes. Anti-LOX and VD significantly lengthened the penis by 10.8% (3.75 mm) and 8.2% (2.48 mm) compared with the control group, respectively, while anti-LOX + VD achieved the longest penile size (40.58 ± 0.40 mm) which was 17.4% longer than the control group (34.58 ± 0.54 mm). After 1-week washout, no penile retraction was observed. Meanwhile, exposed penile length data confirmed that the penis in the anti-LOX + VD group was also significantly longer. Anti-LOX inhibited LOX activity to reduce pyridinoline level, which led the penile tunica albuginea remodeling. However, it had no effect on hydroxyproline, desmosine, and elastin levels. Moreover, anti-LOX had no impact on erectile function, which was determined by ICP and ICP/MAP ratio. These results suggest that anti-LOX elongates the penis by reducing pyridinoline, which induces tunica albuginea remodeling. This lengthening effect was more obvious when combined with a VD. All procedures had no impact on erectile function.

As the broad spectrum pharmacological action, aspirin has been one of the most widely used medicines since its initial synthesis; however, the association between aspirin and erectile function is still controversial. We aim to explore whether long-term aspirin administration deteriorates or preserves erectile function from adult rats and ageing rat model. Twenty adult rats (10 weeks of age) and twenty ageing rats (80 weeks of age) were randomly divided into four groups as follows: Adult-Control (normal saline [NS]), Adult-Aspirin (aspirin, 10 mg/kg/d), Ageing-Control (NS), and Ageing-Aspirin (aspirin, 10 mg/kg/d) groups (n = 10 per group). For all rats, erectile function was assessed by maximum intracavernous pressure (ICP), total area under ICP curve (AUC), ICP/mean arterial pressure (MAP) ratio, and MAP. The total treatment duration was one month. Protein expression levels of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), COX-2, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and nNOS of the corpus cavernosum were detected by Western blot. ELISA kits were used to determine 6-keto PGF1a, PGE2, TXB2, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels. Total nitric oxide (NO) concentration was measured using a fluorometric assay kit. As a result, Ageing-Control rats revealed significantly decreased ICP, AUC, and ICP/MAP ratios compared to Adult-Control rats, and these effects were accompanied by reduced eNOS protein expression and lower total NO and cGMP levels; however, no difference was found in nNOS protein expression. For adult rat groups, aspirin significantly inhibited the production of 6-keto PGF1a, PGE2, and TXB2; however, it neither changed the ICP, AUC, or ICP/ MAP ratios nor altered the protein expression of eNOS, nNOS, COX-1, and COX-2. Meanwhile, aspirin did not influence the concentrations of total NO, cAMP, or cGMP. The same tendency was also found in the ageing rat model, which confirmed that aspirin did not alter erectile function. Our data suggested that long-term aspirin administration did not strengthen or weaken erectile function in adult rats or ageing rat model. Thus, it had no impact on erectile function.

Peyronie's disease (PD) is a fibrotic disorder of the tunica albuginea (TA). This study aimed to determine the therapeutic effects of a vacuum erection device (VED) in an animal model of PD and explore the possible mechanisms. Twenty-seven male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The sham group (group A) (N = 9) received a 50-μl-saline vehicle injection into the TA, while the remaining 18 rats (groups B and C) received a TGF-β1 injection into the TA. The treatment group (group C) underwent VED therapy for 10 days after the TGF-β1 injection. Erectile function was then assessed at day 42. Rats injected with TGF-β1 showed significantly lower intracavernous pressures than those in the sham group (p < 0.0001). After VED therapy, erectile function was significantly better in the treatment group than in the PD group (group B) (p < 0.0147). Masson's trichrome staining confirmed Peyronie's-like plaques at the TGF-β1 injection site in the PD group. Furthermore, the treatment group showed markedly smaller fibrotic plaque sizes than the PD group. A significant increase in TGF-β1, SMAD2, SMAD3 and p-SMAD2/3 protein expression was observed 6 weeks after the TGF-β1 injection. However, the expression of the same proteins decreased after VED therapy. Protein expression trends were confirmed using immunohistochemistry analysis. The findings of this study demonstrate that VED therapy can reduce Peyronie's-like plaque size in a rat model of PD while simultaneously improving erectile function.

Intracavernosal pressure (ICP) is gold standard for the detection of erectile function in animals, but no consensus has yet been achieved on what kind of anesthetic protocol should be applied. A total of 16 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into two groups. In group A, chloral hydrate was injected intraperitoneally. Rats in group B were induced in 5% isoflurane for 3 min and then maintained in 1.0–1.5% isoflurane. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate were monitored during all experiments. After ICP detection, tail vein and carotid artery blood were collected. The maximum ICP value, MAP and ICP/MAP ratio in group B was significantly higher than in that of group A. The RR in group A was lower than in that of group B, but the heart rate in group A was higher than in group B. There were no significant differences in both pO2 and pCO2 between groups. While the data showed that animals in group A were relatively hypoxemic. Isoflurane inhalation anesthesia in detection of erectile function could offer a relatively more stable physical state than in that under the effect of chloral hydrate intraperitoneal anesthesia. Isoflurane inhalation anesthesia is more suitable for ICP test.

Vacuum erection device (VED), used to treat radical prostatectomy (RP)-associated erectile dysfunction, has attracted considerable attention. However, the optimal negative pressure remains to be determined. This investigation explored the optimal pressure for VED therapy in penile rehabilitation. Thirty-six 9-week-old male rats were randomly divided into six groups: control groups (sham group, bilateral cavernous nerve crush [BCNC] group) and VED therapy groups (−200 mmHg group, −300 mmHg group, −400 mmHg group, −500 mmHg group). BCNC group and VED therapy groups underwent BCNC surgery. Intracavernosal pressure (ICP)/mean arterial pressure (MAP) ratio was calculated to assess erectile function. Masson's trichrome (MT) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, immunohistochemistry, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed to explore cellular and molecular changes of the penis. Compared to the BCNC group, ICP/MAP ratios in all VED treatment groups were improved significantly (all P < 0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences among VED therapy groups. With increased pressure, complications gradually emerged and increased in frequency. Expression of molecular indicators, such as endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), increased after VED therapy, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) decreased. In addition, VED therapy improved the outcomes of MT and TUNEL assay. This investigation demonstrated a pressure of −200 mmHg in a rat model is optimal for VED therapy for penile rehabilitation after RP. No further benefits were observed with increased pressure, despite an increase in complications.

Over the past decades, sleep-related erection and rigidity monitoring has been used to differentiate psychogenic from organic erectile dysfunction (ED), due to the involuntary nature of erections in sleep. This study retrospectively reviewed all available literature focusing on sleep-related erection and rigidity monitoring through a systematic PubMed search. To date, there are mainly seven methods and their modifications, including: sleep laboratory testing, the mercury strain gauge, the stamp test, the erectometer, the Snap gauge, the RigiScan, and nocturnal electrobioimpedance volumetric assessment. This study analyzes and summarizes the advantages and limitations of seven monitoring methods. This study indicates that both of the above methods possess the capacity to assess erectile quality and provide guidance to the diagnosis, etiology, and differential diagnosis of ED. However, some limitations still exist for the application. New devices which can continuously monitor kinds of variables, including sleep-related erection, axial and radial rigidity, and oxygen saturation are needed.

Background The penile length is from the pubis to the end of glan of the stretched penis, which is mainly defined by the dimension of cavernous body. Micropenis is generally defined as penile length below two standard deviations of mean value. There is no treatment with solid evidence in clinic. Our previous study found the expression of Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is downregulated with aging. Therefore, we use anti-LOX to moderate the tunica albuginea remodeling and observe penile lengthen. In the meantime, we evaluate it effects on erectile function. Methods This study was performed on two phases of rats: puberty and adulthood, and intervened for 7 weeks. Puberty protocol included groups of control, anti-LOX (β-aminopropionitrile), −200 mmHg vacuum aspiration (VA), −200 mmHg VA + anti-LOX, −300 mmHg VA, and −300 mmHg VA + anti-LOX; adulthood protocol comprised groups of control, anti-LOX, −300 mmHg VA, and −300mmHg VA + anti-LOX. Penile length was measured by a modified VA device and verified by stretched status. Intracavernous pressure (ICP) and maximum ICP/mean arterial pressure ratio were recorded to assess erectile function. Western bolt and histopathological staining were performed to reveal LOX activity, and transmission electron microscope was performed to reveal the microstructural changes. The concentrations of pyridinoline, desmosine, hydroxyproline and elastin were also analyzed. Results In puberty groups, anti-LOX significantly increased penile length by 10.79% than control rats; the lengthening effect was more prominent in −300 mmHg VA + anti-LOX group, which is 19.84% longer. In adulthood groups, even less effective, −300 mmHg VA + anti-LOX significantly lengthened penis by 17.35%, no penile retraction observed one week later, while stretched penile length was also significantly longer (14.35%). Anti-LOX inhibited LOX activity to reduce pyridinoline level, which led penile tunica albuginea remolding. Finally, anti-LOX had no impact on erectile function, whether combined with VA or not. Conclusions Penile length is significantly increased by anti-LOX, which inhibited pyridinoline to induce tunica albuginea remolding in puberty and adulthood rats, and all rats have on erectile dysfunction.

Objective There are various etiologies of erectile dysfunction (ED), including endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, and chronic inflammation. Aspirin has a protective role against endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis, whease all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. However, association between the use of aspirin or non-aspirin NSAIDs and ED is controversial. Therefore, we reviewed this relationship. Methods We systematically reviewed the pathophysiology of ED, physiological effect of prostaglandins, pharmacological action of NSAIDs, and clinical and basic research studies that evaluated the effect of aspirin or non-aspirin NSAIDs on ED. Results The research studies that assessed association between aspirin or non-aspirin NSAIDs are limited, and only 12 articles have been published. One clinical and three basic studies have claimed that aspirin or non-aspirin NSAIDs are beneficial for ED by preserving nitric oxide synthase impairment or penile blood hypercoagulability. One basic and two clinical studies considered them as risk factors because they interfered with prostaglandin production. By contrast, four clinical studies showed irrelevant results after controlling various medical indications. In addition, the mechanical effect of aspirin or non-aspirin NSAIDs on the nitric oxide pathway is still controversial. Conclusions The available research studies revealed that association between aspirin or non-aspirin NSAIDs and ED is controversial. Considering the high frequency of drug use, further clinical and basic investigations should be conducted to clarify their exact relationship.