Abstract: To investigate the mechanisms of erection dysfunction(ED) induced by chronic renal failure (CRF). MethodsCRF experimental models were established by removing 5／6 kidney from male spraguedawley (SD) rats in one stage. Both the control group (NCRF group, n=6) and the experimental group (CRF group, n=30) were injected with a low dose ［80μg／(kg·d)］ of apomorphine (APO) at the 12th week after resection surgeries to measure the correspondent penile erections. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) was used to determine the gene expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the rat corpus cavernosum in the 12th week after the resection surgeries. ResultsThe penile erection ratio of the CRF group was 28％ (7／25) while that of the NCRF group was 100％(5／5) (P＜0.05). The average penile erection frequency of the CRF group was(1.0±0.0) while that of the NCRF group was (2.2±0.8) (P＜0.05). The gene expression of nNOS in the rat corpus cavernosum was (0.21±0.07) of the CRF group and (0.40±0.08) of the NCRF group (P＜0.01). The RTPCR results showed that the gene expression of eNOS in the rat corpus cavernosum of the CRF group was significantly lower than that of the NCRF group［(0.28±0.08) vs(0.67±0.13) (P＜0.01)］. ConclusionsCRF significantly reduces the erectile function of the rats, and CRF-related ED has some correlations with the decrease of the gene expressions of eNOS and nNOS in the rat corpus cavernosum.

Key words: Impotence, Kidney failure, chronic, Nitric oxide synthase