Cavernous Nerve Injury Using Rodent Animal Models

Abstract

Introduction With the advance of the “nerve sparing” technique in radical pelvic surgeries, medically unaided rates of normal erectile function following surgery have improved. Precise determinations of post-surgery erection recovery, however, continue to be problematic and rates of normal erectile function range from 9% to 86%. It is understood that injury to cavernous nerves (CNs) occurs despite modern modifications of the surgery, although the precise pathophysiologic mechanisms of surgical erectile dysfunction are not completely understood. Aim To describe the experimental models of CN injury in small rodents, including both survival surgery (CN injury) and non-survival surgery (monitoring of intracavernosal pressure and arterial blood pressure) models. We also summarize studies on experimental procedures relating to these CN injury models and critique techniques according to their advantages and disadvantages. Main Outcome Measure Data from a peer review literature search on the topic of CN injury in rodent models. Methods A comprehensive review of the literature was performed using PubMed. “Cavernous nerve injury” and “animal model” were used as search terms, and a manual bibliographic review of cross-referenced items was performed. Results Assorted molecular, morphological, and physiological changes are measurable after CN injury in rodent models. Conclusion Various models of CN injury have been applied successfully and offer insights regarding erectile function recovery effects.

Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Associated to Matrixen on the Erectile Function in the Rat Model with Bilateral Cavernous Nerve Crushing Injury

“…Animal model induced by bilateral cavernous nerve crushing injury has been widely used because this type of injury was designed to mimic the partial nerve damage that occurs during nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy through mechanical nerve stretch (11). And several studies were performed about the periodic changes of MPG in response to the cavernous nerve injury in the animals with erectile dysfunction induced by cavernous nerve injury (12,13).…”

“…This may cause unexpected, unfavorable events and moreover, we are not able to get anticipating results from the stem cell therapy, neither. To overcome this weakness, some investigators used polymers to promote the retention of stem cells in the targeted tissue (9)(10)(11).…”

Advances in the study of the peripheral nervous system for erection in animals and humans

“…Models of pathophysiological erectile dysfunction (ED) are easily created in rats including models of diabetes, aging, castration, CN injury, etc. [24][25][26][27].…”

“…Clinically, nerve-sparing techniques in RP dramatically improve recovery of erectile function; however, recovery is still insufficient to achieve full function [30], hence preclinical research in this field remains essential [27]. Various types of CN injury have been tested in rodents, especially in rats.…”

Pelvic nerve injury negatively impacts female genital blood flow and induces vaginal fibrosis—implications for human nerve‐sparing radical hysterectomy

“…9,10 This type of damage, neurapraxia, is defined as a physiological block to nerve conduction within an axon, without an anatomical interruption of the nerve sheath. 11,12 The preserved nerve sheath consists of Schwann cells and other neural-supportive and regulatory cell-types that provide an anatomical guide for nerve regeneration, and it plays a key role in the process of axonal degeneration and ensuing regeneration; however, loss of function may persist until re-myelination occurs. As axons may re-myelinate at different times (over months) and to different degrees, related function may be regained unevenly.…”