ATP-dependent ion-transport systems functioning in immunocompetent cells of men with erectile dysfunction due to combat trauma

Abstract

Background. The study of the problem of physical and mental health of people who have survived combat trauma is a component of a wide field of research on the problem of stress, which manifests itself at all levels of the organization of the body. Combat injuries, in particular those of the areas of pelvis and genitourinary system, stressful events, lead to the development of erectile dysfunction (ED). In recent decades, a sufficient number of scientific facts have been accumulated, which confirm the significant influence of stress factors on the reduction of sexual desire and sexual activity. Therefore, determination of Ca2+,Mg2+- and Na+,K+-ATPase activity on a convenient model like peripheral blood lymphocytes add complexity to the understanding of the development of the pathophysiological and pathobiochemical mechanisms of the body, the result of which is the development of ED. Materials and methods. The research was conducted on peripheral blood lymphocytes of men injured as a result of combat operations (shrapnel and bullet wounds) in the Russian-Ukrainian war and treated at the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region. The research group of men with combat injuries was divided into two subgroups: men aged 20–39 years (subgroup 1) and men aged 40–53 years (subgroup 2). The control group consisted of 48 practically healthy men without complaints of sexual dysfunction or cardiac, neurological or endocrinological pathology. Among the men of the control group were 30 men aged 20–39 years (subgroup 3) and 18 men aged 40–53 years (subgroup 4). Results. It has been shown that in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of men injured as a result of hostilities, there is a decrease in Na+,K+-ATPase activity and Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase activity of the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum, which leads to overloading of the cytosol with Na+ and Ca2+ ions, respectively, which is characteristic of pathological processes. Conclusion. Erectile dysfunction due to combat trauma is accompanied by a decrease in both Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase activity of the plasma membrane and Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase activity of endoplasmic reticulum of blood lymphocytes. As the age of patients with disorders of sexual function increases, the decrease in Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase activities becomes more expressed. In men with erectile dysfunction due to combat trauma, the activity of Na+,K+-ATPase is also inhibited. According to the ROC curve, Ca2+,Mg2+-ATPase activity of the endoplasmic reticulum in blood lymphocytes is a potential biomarker of erectile dysfunction.