Morphological and molecular analysis of apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of rats submitted to a chronic alcoholism model
Meirelles, Rogério José de AzevedoLizarte Neto, Fermino SanchesCirino, Mucio Luiz de AssisNovais, Paulo CezarGula, Isabella StracieriSilva, Jairo Pinheiro daTazzima, Maria de Fátima Galli SoritaFazan, Valéria Paula SassoliDurand, Marina ToledoTirapelli, Daniela Pretti da CunhaCarvalho, Camila Albuquerque Melo deSchimming, Bruno CésarMolina, Carlos Augusto FernandesTucci Junior, SilvioTirapelli, Luis Fernando
Purpose To evaluate the effect of chronic alcoholism on morphometry and apoptosis mechanism and correlate with miRNA-21 expression in the corpus cavernosum of rats. Methods Twenty-four rats were divided into two experimental groups: Control (C) and Alcoholic group (A). After two weeks of an adaptive phase, rats from group A received only ethanol solution (20%) during 7 weeks. The morphometric and caspase-3 immunohistochemistry analysis were performed in the corpus cavernosum. The miRNA-21 expression was analyzed in blood and cavernous tissue. Results Chronic ethanol consumption decreased cavernosal smooth muscle area of alcoholic rats. The protein expression of caspase 3 in the corpus cavernosum was higher in A compared to the C group. There was no difference in the expression of miRNA-21 in serum and cavernous tissue between the groups. Conclusion Chronic ethanol consumption reduced smooth muscle area and increased caspase 3 in the corpus cavernosum of rats, without altered serum and cavernosal miR-21 gene expression.(AU)
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