Park K, Ryu S B, Park Y I, Ahn K, Lee S N, Nam J H
Department of Urology, Chonnam National University Medical School, 5, Hakdong, Dongku, Kwangju 501-190, Korea.
J Sex Marital Ther. 2001 Oct-Dec;27(5):577-87. doi: 10.1080/713846811.
The commonly reported sexual problem in women with diabetes mellitus is lack of vaginal lubrication. It is our hypothesis that reduced vaginal lubrication in diabetic women may result from the structural changes of the vagina. The aim of this study was to investigate in the diabetic rat model the vaginal structures using histochemistry and the expression of TGF-beta 1 using immunohistochemistry. Twenty female Sprague-Dawley rats (200-210 g) were divided into two groups: control and experimental. The experimental group (n = 10) received intravenous injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). After 4 weeks, blood glucose levels were measured, and the vagina of the rat was excised. Serial sections of the vagina were used to perform hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) and Masson's trichrome stains, and for immunohistochemistry to identify TGF-beta 1 expression. The mean blood glucose concentrations were 67 +/- 11 mg/dL (range; 50-85) in the control group and 522 +/- 61 mg/dl (range; 429-590) in the experimental group. In the diabetic animals, vaginal tissue revealed reduced epithelial layers and decreased vaginal submucosal vasculatures compared to the control animals. The collagen connective tissue in the submucosal area of the diabetic animal tissue showed a dense and irregular, distorted arrangement. The immunoreactivity of TGF-beta 1 in the diabetic animals was prominent in the collagen connective tissue, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle fibers, whereas no immunoactivity was detected in the vaginal structures of the control animals. Diabetes mellitus may induce vaginal tissue fibrosis by TGF-beta 1 expression in the rat model. This implies that reduced vaginal lubrication in the diabetic women may result from the structural changes of the vagina.
糖尿病女性中常见的性问题是缺乏阴道润滑。我们的假设是，糖尿病女性阴道润滑减少可能是由阴道结构变化引起的。本研究的目的是在糖尿病大鼠模型中，使用组织化学研究阴道结构，并使用免疫组织化学研究转化生长因子β1（TGF-β1）的表达。将20只雌性斯普拉格-道利大鼠（200-210克）分为两组：对照组和实验组。实验组（n = 10）接受链脲佐菌素静脉注射（50毫克/千克）。4周后，测量血糖水平，并切除大鼠阴道。阴道连续切片用于进行苏木精和伊红（H&E）染色及马森三色染色，并进行免疫组织化学以鉴定TGF-β1表达。对照组的平均血糖浓度为67±11毫克/分升（范围：50-85），实验组为522±61毫克/分升（范围：429-590）。与对照动物相比，糖尿病动物的阴道组织显示上皮层减少，阴道黏膜下血管减少。糖尿病动物组织黏膜下区域的胶原结缔组织显示出致密、不规则且扭曲的排列。糖尿病动物中TGF-β1的免疫反应性在胶原结缔组织、成纤维细胞和平滑肌纤维中显著，而在对照动物的阴道结构中未检测到免疫活性。在大鼠模型中，糖尿病可能通过TGF-β1表达诱导阴道组织纤维化。这意味着糖尿病女性阴道润滑减少可能是由阴道结构变化引起的。
