Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

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

Subjects

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Manore MM, Larson-Meyer DE, Lindsay AR, Hongu N, Houtkooper L. Dynamic energy balance: an integrated framework for discussing diet and physical activity in obesity prevention-is it more than eating less and exercising more? Nutrients. 2017; 9;905.

  2. de Souza ILL, Barros BC, de Oliveira GA, Queiroga FR, Toscano LT, Silva AS, et al. Hypercaloric diet establishes erectile dysfunction in rat: mechanisms underlying the endothelial damage. Front Physiol. 2017;8:760.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Li R, Cui K, Liu K, Li H, Zhang Y, Liu X, et al. Metabolic syndrome in rats is associated with erectile dysfunction by impairing PI3K/Akt/eNOS activity. Sci Rep. 2017;7:13464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ehala-Aleksejev K, Punab M. The effect of metabolic syndrome on male reproductive health: a cross-sectional study in a group of fertile men and male partners of infertile couples. PLoS ONE. 2018;13:e0194395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Abidu-Figueiredo M, Ribeiro IC, Chagas MA, Cardoso LE, Costa WS, Sampaio FJ. The penis in diabetes: structural analysis of connective tissue and smooth muscle alterations in a rabbit model. BJU Int. 2011;108:400–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Fonseca A Jr, Rodrigues CF, Martins JS, Abidu-Figueiredo M, Cardoso GP, Babinski MA. Effects of hypercholesterolemic diet by long-term on elastic system fibers penile tissue: volumetric density analysis of elastic system fibers. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2016;9:379–86.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Rahman NU, Phonsombat S, Bochinski D, Carrion RE, Nunes L, Lue TF. An animal model to study lower urinary tract symptoms and erectile dysfunction: the hyperlipidaemic rat. BJU Int. 2007;100:658–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Reeves PG, Nielsen FH, Fahey GC Jr. AIN-93 purified diets for laboratory rodents: final report of the American Institute of Nutrition ad hoc writing committee on the reformulation of the AIN-76A rodent diet. J Nutr. 1993;123:1939–51.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Montes GS. Structural biology of the fibres of the collagenous and elastic systems. Cell Biol Int. 1996;20:15–27.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gandaglia G, Briganti A, Jackson G, Kloner RA, Montorsi F, Montorsi P, et al. A systematic review of the association between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Eur Urol. 2014;65:968–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Colson MH, Cuzin B, Faix A, Grellet L, Huyghes E. Current epidemiology of erectile dysfunction, an update. Sexologies. 2018;27:e7–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Fraulob JC, Ogg-Diamantino R, Fernandes-Santos C, Aguila MB, Mandarim-de-Lacerda CA. A mouse model of metabolic syndrome: insulin resistance, fatty liver and non-alcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) in C57BL/6 mice fed a high fat diet. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2010;46:212–23.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Petro AE, Cotter J, Cooper DA, Peters JC, Surwit SJ, Surwit RS. Fat, carbohydrate, and calories in the development of diabetes and obesity in the C57BL/6J mouse. Metabolism. 2004;53:454–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Surwit RS, Kuhn CM, Cochrane C, McCubbin JA, Feinglos MN. Diet-induced type II diabetes in C57BL/6J mice. Diabetes. 1988;37:1163–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hsu GL, Brock G, von Heyden B, Nunes L, Lue TF, Tanagho EA. The distribution of elastic fibrous elements within the human penis. Br J Urol. 1994;73:566–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Dean RC, Lue TF. Physiology of penile erection and pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction. Urol Clin North Am. 2005;32:379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Akkus E, Carrier S, Baba K, Hsu GL, Padma-Nathan H, Nunes L, et al. Structural alterations in the tunica albuginea of the penis: impact of Peyronie’s disease, ageing and impotence. Br J Urol. 1997;79:47–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Luangkhot R, Rutchik S, Agarwal V, Puglia K, Bhargava G, Melman A. Collagen alterations in the corpus cavernosum of men with sexual dysfunction. J Urol. 1992;148:467–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Raviv G, Kiss R, Vanegas JP, Petein M, Danguy A, Schulman C, et al. Objective measurement of the different collagen types in the corpus cavernosum of potent and impotent men: an immunohistochemical staining with computerized-image analysis. World J Urol. 1997;15:50–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Yaman O, Yilmaz E, Bozlu M, Anafarta K. Alterations of intracorporeal structures in patients with erectile dysfunction. Urol Int. 2003;71:87–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Iacono F, Giannella R, Somma P, Manno G, Fusco F, Mirone V. Histological alterations in cavernous tissue after radical prostatectomy. J Urol. 2005;173:1673–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Karaboga R, Kilic O, Yaman O, Percinel S, Anafarta K. Long-term effect of experimental hypercholesterolemia on cavernosal tissues. Urology. 2006;67:431–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Yeşillia Ç, Yamana Ö, Anafarta K. Effect of experimental hypercholesterolemia on cavernosal structures. Urology. 2001;57:1184–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. El-Sakka AI, Yassin AA. Amelioration of penile fibrosis: myth or reality. J Androl. 2010;31:324–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Traish AM, Munarriz R, O’Connell L, CHoi S, Kim SW, Huang YH, et al. Effects of medical or surgical castration on erectile function in an animal model. J Androl. 2003;24:381–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Shen ZJ, Zhou XL, Lu YL, Chen ZD. Effect of androgen deprivation on penile ultrastructure. Asian J Androl. 2003;5:33–6.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Morelli A, Filippi S, Mancina R, Luconi M, Vignozzi L, Marini M, et al. Androgens regulate phosphodiesterase type 5 expression and functional activity in corpora cavernosa. Endocrinology. 2004;145:2253–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Amidu N, Owiredu W, Gyasi-Sarpong CK, Alidu H, Antuamwine BB, Sarpong C. The inter-relational effect of metabolic syndrome and sexual dysfunction on hypogonadism in type II diabetic men. Int J Impot Res. 2017;29:120–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

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).

Author information

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

Authors
  1. Jorge L. Alves-Pereira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eliete Dalla Corte Frantz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lucas Alves Sarmento Pires
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marcio Antonio Babinski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Cristiane da Fonte Ramos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcio Antonio Babinski.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

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

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

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

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links