| Objective: To investigate the effects of injury in the ischiocavernosus(IC)muscle on erectile function and late fertility in male rats by establishing a male rat model of unilateral/bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy.Methods: Adult sexually mature male SD rats(8-12 weeks)were selected and randomly divided into normal group(n=10),sham operation group(n=10),unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group(n=10)and bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group(n=10).The normal group was not treated.The sham operation group only exposed the IC muscle.In the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group,the right side of the IC muscle was severed,while in the bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group,the bilateral IC muscle were severed.After model establishment,intracarvernosal pressure(ICP),including basic pressure and erectile pressure,was measured immediately.Erectile pressure was measured by electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve(CN)to induce penile erection.One week after surgery,the male rats in each group were separated and fed with the female rats at childbearing age one by one(female: male,1: 1)to observe the pregnancy rate of paired female rats.Two months after surgery,ICP of male rats in each group was measured again in the same way,and the basic pressure and erectile pressure were recorded.Through the statistical analysis of the ICP of male rats and the pregnant rate of the paired female rats,the effects of severing the unilateral/bilateral IC muscle on the erectile function and later fertility of the male rats were evaluated.P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.(4)Results:(1)ICP was measured immediately after surgery,revealing that basic pressure and erectile pressure was 17.44±2.50 mmHg and 93.51±10.78 mmHg in the normal group,17.81±2.81 mmHg and 95.07±10.40 mmHg in the sham operation group,16.73± 2.11 mmHg and 83.49±12.38 mmHg in the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group,and 14.78±2.78 mmHg and 33.57±6.72 mmHg in the bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group,respectively.Erectile pressure showed no statistically significantdifference between the normal group and the sham operation group(P=0.75),as well as the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group and the normal group(P=0.07).Erectile pressure in the bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group was lower than that in the normal group and the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group(P<0.01).(2)ICP was measured2 months after surgery,revealing that basic pressure and erectile pressure was 16.82±3.07 mmHg and 90.91±8.04 mmHg in the normal group,18.44±2.80 mmHg and 91.40±10.33 mmHg in the sham operation group,15.72±4.27 mmHg and 89.06±9.87 mmHg in the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group,and 17.98±2.93 mmHg and 59.12±5.88 mmHg in the bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group,respectively.Erectile pressure showed no statistically significant difference between the normal group and the sham operation group(P=0.91),as well as the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group and the normal group(P=0.66).Erectile pressure in the bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group was lower than that in the normal group and the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group(P<0.01).(3)Erectile pressure presented no significant difference between the two time periods in the normal group,the sham operation group and the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group(P>0.05).Erectile pressure 2 months after surgery in the bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group was higher than that measured immediately after surgery(P<0.01).(4)Basic pressure presented no significant difference between the two time periods in the normal group,the sham operation group and the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group(P>0.05).Basic pressure 2 months after surgery in the bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group was higher than that measured immediately after surgery(P<0.01).(5)Pregnancy rate was 100% in the normal group,100% in the sham operation group,90% in the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group,and 0% in the bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group.No significant difference was found in pregnancy rate between the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group and the normal group,as well as the normal group and the sham operation group(P>0.05).Pregnancy rate in the bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group was significantly lower than that in the normal group and the unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy group(P<0.01).Conclusions:1.Unilateral ischioclavicular myotomy may not affect erectile function or only cause transient erectile dysfunction(ED)in male rats,and may not affect fertility.2.Bilateral ischioclavicular myotomy may lead to ED and affect fertility in male rats.3.Theresults of ICP measurement are consistent with those of pregnancy rate test.As a simple and practical method to evaluate ED of male rats,observation of pregnancy rate by paired feeding by paired feeding can be popularized. |
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