Submitted August 10, 2004
Returned for revision September 20, 2004
Accepted November 16, 2004
Male Reproductive Tract
Establishment of Penile Fibrosis Model in a Rat Using
Mouse NIH 3T3 Fibroblasts Expressing Transforming Growth
Factor-
1
Ji-Kan Ryu ,
Sun U. Song ,
Jee-Young Han ,
Young-Chae Chu ,
Minhyung Lee ,
Jun-Sig Kim ,
Seong-Jin Kim ,
and
Jun-Kyu Suh *
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jksuh{at}inha.ac.kr.
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-
1 (TGF1) has been
suggested to have an important role in cavernous fibrosis,
and resultant erectile dysfunction. For further
elucidation of TGF1 signaling in association with
cavernous fibrosis, we developed a rat model of cavernous
fibrosis using TGF1-producing NIH 3T3 fibroblasts
(NIH 3T3-TGF1). NIH 3T3-TGF1 cells were
injected into male Sprague-Dawley rats intracavernously.
Masson's trichrome staining at 20 days postinjection
showed multiple fibrous scars in the rats injected with
the NIH 3T3-TGF1 cells (Group 3), whereas no
histological evidence of cavernous fibrosis was found in
the control rats (Group 1) or the recombinant human
TGF1 protein injected rats (Group 2).
Immunohistochemical staining revealed a higher expression
of TGF1 and its type II receptor in group 3 than in
groups 1 or 2. Electrostimulation of the cavernous nerve
revealed that the maximal intracavernous pressure was
significantly lower in group 3 than in groups 1 or 2
(P<0.01). The expression of transgenic TGF1
mRNA continued to 10 days after injection of the cells.
NIH 3T3-TGF1 cells sufficiently induced relatively
long-lasting cavernous fibrosis. This novel animal model
may contribute to the future investigations of the
pathogenesis of penile fibrosis associated with
TGF1 signaling and the development of new
therapeutics targeting this pathway.
Key words:
Male sexual function •
Penis
