1. Morphological and molecular analysis of apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of rats submitted to a chronic alcoholism model.
- Author
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Meirelles RJA, Lizarte Neto FS, Cirino MLA, Novais PC, Gula IS, Silva JPD, Tazzima MFGS, Fazan VPS, Durand MT, Tirapelli DPDC, Carvalho CAM, Schimming BC, Molina CAF, Tucci Junior S, and Tirapelli LF
- Subjects
- Animals, Caspase 3 analysis, Disease Models, Animal, Erectile Dysfunction chemically induced, Erectile Dysfunction pathology, Gene Expression, Immunohistochemistry, Male, MicroRNAs analysis, Muscle, Smooth drug effects, Rats, Wistar, Reference Values, Alcoholism complications, Apoptosis drug effects, Penis drug effects, Penis pathology
- Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of chronic alcoholism on morphometry and apoptosis mechanism and correlate with miRNA-21 expression in the corpus cavernosum of rats., Methods: Twenty-four rats were divided into two experimental groups: Control (C) and Alcoholic group (A). After two weeks of an adaptive phase, rats from group A received only ethanol solution (20%) during 7 weeks. The morphometric and caspase-3 immunohistochemistry analysis were performed in the corpus cavernosum. The miRNA-21 expression was analyzed in blood and cavernous tissue., Results: Chronic ethanol consumption decreased cavernosal smooth muscle area of alcoholic rats. The protein expression of caspase 3 in the corpus cavernosum was higher in A compared to the C group. There was no difference in the expression of miRNA-21 in serum and cavernous tissue between the groups., Conclusion: Chronic ethanol consumption reduced smooth muscle area and increased caspase 3 in the corpus cavernosum of rats, without altered serum and cavernosal miR-21 gene expression.
- Published
- 2020
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