Effects of Diabetes Mellitus on the Relaxation of Rabbit Vaginal Smooth Muscle

Park, Kwangsung; Kim, Min Kyoung; Kim, Mi Young; Pak, Young Hong; Ryu, Soobang; Ahn, Kyuyoun

Abstract

PURPOSE
Diabetic women commonly reported decreased sexual arousal and a lack of vaginal lubrication. Genital arousal depends on the vaginal blood flow and the vaginal smooth muscle tone. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of diabetes mellitus on the relaxation of the vaginal smooth muscles in the rabbit models.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
New Zealand White female rabbits (3-3.5kg) were divided into two groups: control (n=5) and experimental (n=20). The experimental group received an intravenous injection of alloxan (100mg/kg). The development of diabetes was verified by measuring the body weight and blood glucose levels. After 12 weeks, the reactivity of the vaginal tissue from the control and diabetic animals was studied examined in the organ chambers. Vaginal The vaginal tissue was also processed immunohistochemically to determine the presence of the neuronal NOS isoform (n-NOS) in similar groups of rabbits.
RESULTS
By After 12 weeks, five 5 of the 20 animals developed diabetes mellitus. The mean blood glucose level was significantly increased higher in the experimental group (340.8+/-116.9 mg/dl) compared to the control group (81.3+/-6.2mg/dl) (p=0.004). There was no significant difference in terms of the rRelaxation of vaginal tissue to electrical stimulation of the autonomic nerves, to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine and to the endothelium-independent vasodilator nitroprruside was not significantly different between the control and diabetic group. n-NOS immunoreactivity was also similar in both the control and diabetic groups.
CONCLUSIONS
This The results suggest that diabetes mellitus may does not impair the neurogenic and endothelium-dependent relaxation of the rabbit vaginal smooth muscle. However, further intensive studies areinvestigation is needed to verify these results.