Penile erectile dysfunction after brachial plexus root avulsion injury in rats

This study investigates erectile dysfunction (ED) in rats after brachial plexus root avulsion (BPRA), a nerve injury often resulting from accidents. The researchers created rat models of BPRA, both with and without spinal cord injury (SCI), to understand how these injuries affect erectile function. The study found that rats with BPRA, especially when combined with SCI, experienced fewer erections compared to those without the injury. This suggests a link between these nerve injuries and ED. Furthermore, the study explored the role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), an enzyme crucial for penile erection. They observed that nNOS expression decreased significantly in rats with both BPRA and SCI, indicating a potential mechanism for ED in these cases.

• 1
  Rats subjected to simple brachial plexus root avulsion or those subjected to brachial plexus root avulsion combined with spinal cord injury had significantly fewer erections than those subjected to the sham operation.
• 2
  Expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase did not change in brachial plexus root avulsion rats.
• 3
  Neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression was significantly decreased in brachial plexus root avulsion + spinal cord injury rats.