Curcumin slow‐release membrane promotes erectile function and penile rehabilitation in a rat model of cavernous nerve injury

Abstract

Male erectile dysfunction (ED) caused by cavernous nerve injury is a common complication of pelvic surgery, radiotherapy, transurethral surgery or other operations. However, clinical treatment for iatrogenic or traumatic male ED is difficult and not satisfactory. Many studies have shown that curcumin can promote the repair and regeneration of peripheral nerves; however, whether curcumin can rescue cavernous nerve injury is unknown, and the poor bioavailability of curcumin limits its application in vivo. Hence, the study was conducted. A curved slow‐release membrane was produced, and the properties were examined. In addition, the effects of the curcumin slow‐release membrane on cavernous nerve‐injured SD rats were studied. We found that polylactic acid‐glycolic acid‐polyethylene glycol (PLGA‐PEG) can be used as a good carrier material for curcumin, and curcumin‐loaded PLGA‐PEG membranes can effectively rescue the cavernous nerve in SD rats, restore the continuity of the cavernous nerve, and increase the expression of nNOS mRNA and proteins in penile tissue, which can improve the penile erectile function of injured SD rats, reduce the degree of penile tissue fibrosis, and effectively promote penis rehabilitation. The curcumin slow‐release membrane is proposed to be a new therapeutic approach for penile rehabilitation of cavernous nerve injury.