Rapamycin Suppresses Penile NADPH Oxidase Activity to Preserve Erectile Function in Mice Fed a Western Diet.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine if mTOR activates NADPH oxidase in the penis and assess the functional relevance of this pathway in a model of diet-induced erectile dysfunction.
Results Summary
The Western diet impaired erectile function and increased penile NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS, which were suppressed by rapamycin. mTOR activation and NADPH oxidase subunit expression were elevated in WD-fed mice and reduced by rapamycin.
Population
Male mice
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
12 weeks (with rapamycin treatment in the final 4 weeks)
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Western style diet (WD) | decrease | erectile function | Male mice | - | impaired | #1 |
rapamycin | increase | erectile function | WD-mice | - | preserved | #2 |
Western style diet (WD) | increase | Penile NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS | WD-mice | - | elevated | #3 |
rapamycin | decrease | Penile NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS | WD-mice | - | suppressed | #4 |
Western style diet (WD) | increase | active site phosphorylation of mTOR | WD-mice | - | increased | #5 |
Western style diet (WD) | increase | active site phosphorylation of p70S6K | WD-mice | - | increased | #6 |
Western style diet (WD) | increase | expression of NADPH oxidase subunits | WD-mice | - | increased | #7 |
rapamycin | decrease | active site phosphorylation of mTOR | WD-mice | - | suppressed | #8 |
rapamycin | decrease | active site phosphorylation of p70S6K | WD-mice | - | suppressed | #9 |
rapamycin | decrease | expression of NADPH oxidase subunits | WD-mice | - | suppressed | #10 |
The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a nutrient-sensitive cellular signaling kinase that has been implicated in the excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). NADPH oxidase-derived ROS have been implicated in erectile dysfunction pathogenesis. The objective of this study was to determine if mTOR is an activator of NADPH oxidase in the penis and to determine the functional relevance of this pathway in a translationally relevant model of diet-induced erectile dysfunction. Male mice were fed a control diet or a high-fat, high-sucrose Western style diet (WD) for 12 weeks and treated with vehicle or rapamycin for the final 4 weeks of the dietary intervention. Following the intervention, erectile function was assessed by cavernous nerve-stimulated intracavernous pressure measurement, in vivo ROS production was measured in the penis using a microdialysis approach, and relative protein contents from the corpus cavernosum were determined by Western blot. Erectile function was impaired in vehicle treated WD-mice and was preserved in rapamycin treated WD-mice. Penile NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS were elevated in WD-mice and suppressed by rapamycin treatment. Western blot analysis suggests mTOR activation with WD by increased active site phosphorylation of mTOR and p70S6K, and increased expression of NADPH oxidase subunits, all of which were suppressed by rapamycin. These data suggest that mTOR is an upstream mediator of NADPH oxidase in the corpus cavernosum in response to a chronic Western diet, which has an adverse effect on erectile function.