AB088. FTY720 supplementation partially improves erectile dysfunction in rats with streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes through inhibition of endothelial dysfunction and corporal fibrosis

Background: To investigate whether FTY720, approved in 2010 for the treatment of patients with the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis, could ameliorate erectile dysfunction induced by diabetes mellitus (DMED).

Methods: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks old) were induced type I DM and the other eight rats formed the control (n=8). Eight weeks later, 17 rats with DMED tested with an apomorphine test were divided in two groups: DMED (n=8) and DMED + FTY720 (1 mg/kg/d; n=9). Treatment of FTY720 lasted for 4 weeks.

Results: Impaired erectile function, inhibited S1P3/Akt/NO/cGMP activity, serious corporal fibrosis and over-activated pathways (the Smad and non-Smad) were found in the DMED group compared with the control, while FTY720 partly but significantly improved these pathological changes induced by DM.

Conclusions: FTY720 supplementation inhibited endothelial dysfunction and corporal fibrosis, ultimately leading to partial improvement of DMED in rats. This finding provides evidence for a potential treatment method for DMED.

Keywords: Erectile dysfunction; diabetes mellitus; endothelial function; corporal fibrosis