Intracavernous Injection of Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy Enhances Erectile Function and Decreases the Mortality Rate in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an agonizing complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and it is challenging to treat ED in DM patients. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a unique therapeutic strategy comprising intrinsic growth factors. An attempt was made to explore the potentiality of the PRP treatment in DM-induced ED rats in various groups (control, DM-non-ED, DM-ED, and DM-ED treated with PRP). Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce DM in rats. The blood glucose levels of the DM rats were maintained at >300 mg/dl. In the 18-week experiment, survival rate, body weight, intracavernous pressure (ICP) variations, and arterial blood pressure were analyzed. The tissue restoration results were validated by histological, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopic analysis. PRP treatment of DM-ED rats significantly increased all parameters of erectile function compared to pre-treatment of PRP and DM-ED treated with vehicle. The histological results revealed that PRP treatment substantially enhanced the regeneration of myelinated nerves and decreased the atrophy of corporal smooth muscle. Notably, the PRP treatment immensely enhanced the survival rate in post-surgery DM-ED rats. These results indicated certain benefits of PRP treatment in delaying damage and preventing post-surgery complications in DM patients. Hence, PRP treatment is a novel multifactorial strategy for DM-ED patients.