Effects of male silkworm pupa powder on the erectile dysfunction by chronic ethanol consumption in rats

Abstract

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a highly prevalent disorder that affects millions of men worldwide. ED is now considered an early manifestation of atherosclerosis, and consequently, a precursor of systemic vascular disease. This study was designed to investigate the effects of male silkworm pupa powder (SWP) on the levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression, nitrite, and glutathione (GSH); lipid peroxidation; libido; and erectile response of the corpus cavernosum of the rat penis. We induced ED in the study animals by oral administration of 20% ethanol over 8 weeks. The SWP-treated male rats were divided into 3 groups that were orally administered 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg. The libido of the SWP-administered male rats was higher than that of the ethanol control group. In addition, the erectile response of the corpus cavernosum was restored in males on SWP administration, to a level similar to that of the normal group without ED. The testosterone concentration did not increase significantly. The lipid peroxidation in the corpus cavernosum of the male rats administered SWP decreased significantly. In contrast, compared to the ethanol group, SWP-administered male rats showed increased GSH levels in the corpus cavernosum. The level of nitrite and NOS expression in the corpus cavernosum of SWP-administered male rats increased significantly. These results indicated that SWP effectively restored ethanol-induced ED in male rats.

Keywords: Erectile dysfunction; libido activity; sexual function; silkworm pupa powder.

Figure 1

Effect of the silkworm pupa powder (SWP) on the erectile response to carvernous nerve stimulation in chronic ethanol-treated rats. ^a,bValues in the row with different superscripts are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as the mean±SD (n=8).

Figure 2

Effect of the silkworm pupa powder (SWP) on the blood testosterone and protein level in chronic ethanol-treated rats. Data are shown as the mean±SD (n=8).

Figure 3

Effect of the silkworm pupa powder (SWP) on the lipid peroxidation level in corpus cavernosum of chronic ethanol-treated rats. ^a,bValues in the row with different superscripts are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as the mean±SD (n=8).

Figure 4

Effect of the silkworm pupa powder (SWP) on the glutathione level in corpus cavernosum of chronic ethanol-treated rats. ^a,b,cValues in the row with different superscripts are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as mean±SD (n=8).

Figure 5

Effect of the silkworm pupa powder (SWP) on the nitrite level in corpus cavernosum of chronic ethanol-treated rats. ^a,b,cValues in the row with different superscripts are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as the mean±SD (n=8).

Figure 6

Effect of the silkworm pupa powder (SWP) on the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in corpus cavernosum of chronic ethanol-treated rats. ^a,bValues in the row with different superscripts are significantly different, P<0.05. Data are shown as the mean±SD (n=8).