Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effect of chronic renal failure (CRF) on connexin 43 expression in the penis of rats. Methods： CRF models were established by a resection of 5/6 kidney from male sprague-dawley (SD) rats in one stage. Rats of the control group (NCRF group, n=6) and the experimental group (CRF group, n=30) were subjected to　a low dose (80μg/kg·d) of apomorphine (APO) at the 12th week after resection. The correspondent penile erection was determined. Expression of connexin 43(cx43) in the rat corpus cavernosum was also determined by the Western blot method. Results： One rat died in the NCRF group and five in the CRF group. The penile erection ratio of the CRF group was 7/25 and of the NCRF group was 5/5, which presented a significant difference(P＜0.05). The average penile erection frequency of the CRF group was（1.0±0.0）and of the NCRF group was（2.2±0.8）, which was also significantly different (P＜0.05). Expression of cx43 in the rat corpus cavernosum of the CRF group was lower than that of the NCRF group ［(0.21±0.07 ) vs（0.40±0.08）］ (P＜0.01). Conclusion： CRF significantly reduces the erectile function of the rats, CRF-related ED bears a correlation with the decrease in expression of cx43 in the rat corpus cavernosum.

Key words: Impotence, Kidney Failure, Chronic, Connexin 43