Penile reinervation in rats for treatment of erectile dysfunction

• Grant number: 16/13222-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2016
• End date: August 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Fausto Viterbo de Oliveira Neto
• Grantee: Eduardo Leite Fonseca
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Erectile dysfunction is a problem that greatly affects the quality of life of men being one of its causes the sequel of radical prostatectomy. This project proposes to study an alternative treatment for erectile dysfunction through reinnervation of the corpora cavernosa. To reproduce the problem, penile denervation of fertile rats will be made in order to mimic the sequel of radical prostatectomy. In this study, 30 rats will be randomly assigned to three groups with 10 animals each. The CG (control group) will not be subjected to any surgical procedure. The DG (denervated group) and RG (reinnervated group) will be submitted to denervation of the corpora cavernosa. In RG, animals will be re-operated and submitted to reinnervation of the corpora cavernosa with sural nerve grafts, having one of its ends sutured bilaterally to the femoral nerve and the other end placed inside the corpora cavernosa. The evaluation of the results will be done by mating the operated animals with fertile female rats. A histologic and morphometrical study of the nerves and muscles involved will also be made.