Korean J Urol.  2004 Sep;45(9):941-946.

The Effects of Various Stressful Conditions on Erection and Manifestation of Oxytocin Positive Neuron of Apomorphine in Mice

• Yoon DJ
• Kim YJ
• Park JM
• Lee DK
• Lee HJ
• Chung JH
• Lee CH

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to demonstrate whether various stressful conditions have effects on the erection and manifestation of oxytocin positive neurons of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in mice.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty, 10-weeks old mice were divided into 4 groups: control (A), stress only (B), apomorphine only (C) and apomorphine with stress treated (D) groups. Chronic restraint and forced swimming stresses were induced. Apomorphine (80ug/kg) was subcutaneously injected every 3 days, and after 14 days the brains of the mice were extracted, and treated with immunohistochemistry. The data were analyzed by optical density and Student's t-test.
RESULTS
One of group D was died of excessive stress. The erection rates of groups C, D, A and B were 80, 64, 20 and 0%, respectively. The number of oxytocin-positive neurons in the PVN of groups C, A, D and B were 215, 205, 201 and 190, respectively (p=0.07). The optical density of the oxytocin-positive neurons of the erection group was significant higher than that of the non-erection group (125 vs. 105, p<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
The erectile function was decreased under stressful condition, which was improved by administration of apomorphine. Apomorphine has a relationship with the oxytocin-positive neurons in the PVN; therefore, it is one of the important factors in inducing an erection.

Keyword

Apomorphine; Stress; Oxytocin

MeSH Terms

Animals
Apomorphine*
Brain
Immunohistochemistry
Mice*
Neurons*
Oxytocin*
Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus
Swimming
Apomorphine
Oxytocin