The Effect Of Transplanted Endothelial Progenitor Cells Transfected With VEGF₁₆₅ Gene On Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction In Rats

Objective To investigate transplanting endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs) transfected with vascular endothelial growth factor-165(VEGF165) gene to the penis of rats for observing erectile function.Methods Establishing the diabetes mellitus induced erectile dysfunction(DMED) rat model with streptozotozin(STZ). DMED rats transplanted EPCs,were divided randomly into 3 groups.Groupâ… :EPCs with VEGF165 gene transfection group, Groupâ…¡: EPCs without VEGF165 gene transfection group, Groupâ…¢: EPCs alone.Erectile frequency of penis induced by apomorphine(APO) was assayed.The protein of VEGF165 was determined with Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay(ELISA) in peripheral blood.With Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction(RT-PCR) the VEGF165 gene was observed.Determination of vessels by Hematoxylin-Eosin staining(HE staining) and CD34 immunohistochemistry.The survival and differentiation of EPCs were observed through fluorescence microscope in local area.Results The erectile function of Groupâ… significantly increased compare with Groupâ…¡or Groupâ…¢(P<0.05). The results of ELISA and RT-PCR analysis revealed that the rats in Groupâ… had significantly higher VEGF165 protein levels in their peripheral blood than Groupâ…¡or Groupâ…¢ (P<0.01). VEGF165 gene expression levels were also higher in the corpora cavernosa of Groupâ… as compared to the other two groups(P<0.01). HE staining and CD34 immunohistochemistry examination revealed that the presence of extensive neovascularization in the corpora cavernosa of the rats in Groupâ… was more than Groupâ…¡or Groupâ…¢(P < 0.01). Fluorescence microscopy showed that many of the transplanted EPCs in Groupâ… survived, differentiated into endothelial cells, and became incorporated into the sites of neovascularization.Conclusion EPCs transfected with VEGF165 gene could improve the erectile function of DMED rats.