Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by oxidative stress, which is one of the major pathophysiological mechanisms underlying diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED). Lycopene is one of the most potent antioxidants among the natural carotenoids. The present study was aimed to investigate whether lycopene could lower oxidative stress and attenuate ED in diabetic rats. Lycopene (10, 30, 60 mg/kg/d) was administered via intragastric intubation for 8 weeks to streptozotocin (STZ) (50 mg/kg, i.v.) induced diabetic rats. The results showed that chronic lycopene treatment significantly and dose dependently restored ED in diabetic rats by lowering blood glucose, reducing oxidative stress and up-regulating eNOS expression. These results indicated that lycopene treatment is potentially a new strategy for treating diabetic ED.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Gao JX, Li Y, Zhang HY, He XL, Bai AS

Institution

Department of Urology, Yanan University Affiliated Hospital, Yanan University, Yanan, PR China.

Source

Die Pharmazie 67:3 2012 Mar pg 256-9

MeSH

Animals
Antioxidants
Blood Glucose
Blood Pressure
Blotting, Western
Body Weight
Carotenoids
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental
Erectile Dysfunction
Male
Malondialdehyde
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
Oxidative Stress
Penis
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Regional Blood Flow
Superoxide Dismutase

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22530309