A Bioinformatic Investigation of the Mechanism Underlying Migraine‐Induced Erectile Dysfunction

Abstract

Background. Over recent years, an increasing body of literature has focused on the relationship between erectile dysfunction (ED) and migraine. However, the specific mechanism is unclear. Materials and Methods. We used a bioinformatic database to predict the targets and pathways associated with migraine and ED. Twenty male SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group (Group A, n = 10 ) and a migraine model group (Group B, n = 10 ). The rats in Group A were subcutaneously injected with normal saline (2 ml/kg) into the back of the neck. Rats in Group B were subcutaneously injected with nitroglycerin 10 mg/kg (5 mg/ml) into the back of the neck in order to create an animal model of migraine. Next, we carried out the measurement of erectile function. We used hematoxylin and eosin (HE) to compare the tissue structure of the cavernous body of the penis. Western blotting was used to determine the expression levels of PI3K, p-AKT, and p-mTOR in the protein; Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to determine the expression levels of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR in the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). Results. There are 117 intersection targets of migraine and ED, involving 188 cell biological processes (BP), 21 cellular components (CC), 31 molecular functions (MF), and 65 signaling pathways. HE staining results show that there were no significant differences between Group A and Group B with regard to any of the parameters. Compared with Group A, the levels of the PI3K, p-AKT, and p-mTOR proteins and PI3K, AKT, and mTOR mRNAs in Group B decreased ( P < 0.01 ). Conclusions. The decline of erectile function in a rat model of migraine was associated with the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Effect of liver cirrhosis on erectile function in rats: A study combining bioinformatics analysis and experimental research

“…We used the GeneCards database (www.genec ards.org/) to determine the targets of LC and ED. The LC targets and ED targets were then intersected to identify potential targets of LC leading to ED, and used for further construction and analysis of the LC-ED-target network (Wang, Deng, et al, 2021).…”

“…To ensure the validity of the data, each PPI was screened with the lowest interaction score, with a unit of 0.40. The results were stored in TSV format for further network constructions and analyses (Wang, Deng, et al, 2021).…”

“…Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to obtain or maintain penile erection sufficient to achieve satisfactory sexual activity. Thus far, ED has become an increasingly prevalent problem worldwide and affects quality of life (Wang, Deng, et al, 2021). ED affects as many as one-third of the total global male population, and its prevalence increases with age (Lue, 2000;Wright et al, 2021).…”