Phenotypic modulation from a contractile to a proliferative state within vascular smooth muscle cells has a critical role in the pathogenesis of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. To investigate the characterization of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cell phenotype in diabetic rats with erectile dysfunction, a group of Sprague--Dawley rats (n ¼ 30) were induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg kg À1 ) and screened by subcutaneous injection of apomorphine (100 mg kg À1 ) for the measurement and comparison of the penile erections, and then three different groups were defined. Primary corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells were cultured and passaged. The cavernous tissue segments were subjected to quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to determine the expressions of smooth muscle a-actin (SMA), SM myosin heavy chain (SMMHC), smoothelin, calponin and myocardin. Cell contractility in vitro and western blot analysis of SMA and SMMHC in the cavernous tissues and cells were determined. Compared with the control group (n ¼ 8) and the diabetes mellitus group (n ¼ 5), the expressions of SMA, calponin, SMMHC, smoothelin and myocardin mRNA were decreased in the cavernous tissues in rats of the diabetic erectile dysfunction group (n ¼ 15; P ¼ 0.001 and 0.02, P ¼ 0.014 and 0.012, both Po0.001, P ¼ 0.005 and o0.001, P ¼ 0.003 and 0.035, respectively). The levels of SMA and SMMHC proteins showed a significant decrease in cavernous tissues and cultured cells in rats of the diabetic erectile dysfunction group. Cells of the diabetic erectile dysfunction group exhibited significantly less contractility compared with those of other groups (Po0.001). Corpus cavernosum SM cell possesses the ability to modulate the phenotype under hyperglycemic conditions, which could have a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic erectile dysfunction. Keywords: diabetes mellitus; erectile dysfunction; smooth muscle INTRODUCTION Erectile dysfunction (ED), a distressing complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), 1 is three times more common in diabetic male rats than in non-diabetic male rats. It has been reported that about 35--90% of diabetic male rats suffer from ED. 2,3 The pathogenesis of DM-related ED may be involved in many aspects; however, it was well known that vascular causative factors contribute significantly. 4 Corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (CCSM), the structural basis of cavernous space relaxing and penile erection, has a key role in the change of hemodynamics during penile erection. CCSM cell relaxation mediated by parasympathetic neurotransmission, nitric oxide, electrophysiological events and possibly other regulatory factors is necessary for normal penile erection. 5 It has been observed that the CCSM cell mass was lost in diabetic rats with ED, and the remaining SM cells were unable to achieve sufficient relaxation to attain the high intracorporeal pressures that are necessary for the passive occlusion of the veins that egress the corporal bodies as they traverse underneath and through the tunica albu...

ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to observe levels of blood brain natriuretic peptides (BNPs) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) before and after catheter ablation. Thirty-six patients with persistent AF (28 successful surgeries and eight recurrent cases) and 36 healthy controls with normal sinus rhythm were recruited for this study. BNP levels in the AF and control groups were measured before and after catheter ablation. BNP levels before surgery were significantly higher in the persistent AF group than in the control group (P < 0.01). The successful surgery group had distinctly lower BNP levels before ablation than the recurrent group (P < 0.01). In the recurrent group, BNP levels 2 h after ablation were significantly lower than those before ablation (P < 0.01); these levels increased after AF recurrence (P < 0.01) and were comparable with those before ablation (P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the BNP level was an inde-S.Y. Xing et al. 6954©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 14 (2): 6953-6959 (2015) pendent factor for and predictor of AF recurrence (P < 0.01). The BNP level in patients with persistent AF is clinically important in predicting and evaluating AF recurrence after ablation.