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Effects of a high energy density diet in the “corpus cavernosum” of mice

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 31, pages 126–131 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Erectile dysfunction is a common condition that affects men over age 40. It is highly related to obesity. The corpus cavernosum is the most important structure involved in erection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the structure of the corpus cavernosum of mice fed with a high energy density diet (HED). At 3 months of age, male C57BL/6 mice were fed with a HED diet (50% lipids) or standard chow (SC) diet (10% lipids) for 14 weeks. Afterwards, the animals were euthanized and the corpus cavernosum was analyzed through stereology. Statistical significance was calculated by the student’s t-test (p < 0.05). The group fed with HED diet showed higher values of body weight, blood pressure and higher rates of cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose from the second week to the end of the experiment. The HED group showed a significant increase in the connective tissue (15%) and a decrease in smooth muscle fibers (41%). The testosterone concentration in the HED group was 63% lower than in SC animals. Animals fed with a HED presented reduced testosterone serum levels and morphological changes on the corpus cavernosum, which may be related to erectile dysfunction.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the agencies CNPq (Brazilian Council of Science and Technology, www.cnpq.br) and FAPERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Foundation for Scientific Research, www.faperj.br).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Jorge L. Alves-Pereira, Eliete Dalla Corte Frantz & Cristiane da Fonte Ramos

  2. Escola de Ciências da Saúde e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Castelo Branco, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Jorge L. Alves-Pereira

  3. Medical Sciences Post Graduation Program, Fluminense Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Lucas Alves Sarmento Pires & Marcio Antonio Babinski

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  1. Jorge L. Alves-Pereira
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  5. Cristiane da Fonte Ramos
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Correspondence to Marcio Antonio Babinski.

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Alves-Pereira, J.L., Frantz, E.D.C., Pires, L.A.S. et al. Effects of a high energy density diet in the “corpus cavernosum” of mice. Int J Impot Res 31, 126–131 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-018-0089-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-018-0089-4

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