Aged-related erectile dysfunction (A-ED) is generally regarded as degeneration of penile erectile tissue due to age, male hormone deficiency and concomitant cardiovascular disease. Current pathological studies of A-ED are still limited. In this study, aged rats were divided into AE group (aged rats with ED) and YN group (young normal rats) for evaluating the roles of miRNA-200a and RhoA/ROCK signalling pathway in A-ED. Apo-morphine test, ICP measurement and pathological results were compared between these two groups. After transfection of miRNA-200a into Corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs), the expression of miRNA-200a, RhoA, ROCK1 and ROCK2 in the AE group were significantly increased. Additionally, miRNA-200a, RhoA, ROCK1 and ROCK2 were upregulated at a high level after transfecting the miRNA-200a mimics. Therefore, we speculated that miRNA-200a is a positive regulator, which may inhibit the growth of CCSMCs by activating the Rho/ROCK pathway in vitro.
Andrologia. 2022 Jul 01 [Epub ahead of print]
Lulu Lou, Wei Zheng
Emergency & Intensive Care Unit Center, Department of Intensive Care Unit, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China., Health Management Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.