Bechara A J, Cao G, Casabé A R, Romano S V, Toblli J E
Sexual Dysfunction Section, Urology Division, Hospital Durand, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Int J Impot Res. 2003 Jun;15(3):166-72. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijir.3900982.
We evaluated possible morphological alteration in clitoris and vagina from spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive WKY rats. Clitoris and vagina were processed by Masson's trichrome, anti-alpha-smooth-muscle actin, anticollagen type I (COL I) and type III (COL III), and anti-TGFbeta(1). SHR presented higher amount of clitoral cavernous smooth muscle (CSM), vascular smooth muscle; TGFbeta(1) in clitoral vessel wall; higher wall/lumen ratio in both vaginal and clitoral vessels; and remarkable interstitial fibrosis, expressed by a higher amount in interstitial COL I and III in both clitoris and vagina, compared to WKY rats. Nerve fibers from clitoral and vaginal tissue in SHR showed important fibrosis at perineurium. SHR showed positive correlation between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and clitoral CSM; SBP and fibrosis in clitoris; and SBP and COL I and III in clitoris, respectively. Similar findings were observed between SBP and COL I and III in vagina. In conclusion, SHR present morphologic changes in clitoral vessels as well as in clitoral cavernous space, which have a high positive correlation with the high blood pressure level. Moreover, the increase in extracellular matrix affects not only the clitoral and vaginal interstitium but also the nerve structures from both clitoris and vagina.
我们评估了自发性高血压大鼠（SHR）和正常血压的WKY大鼠阴蒂和阴道可能存在的形态学改变。阴蒂和阴道采用马松三色染色法、抗α平滑肌肌动蛋白、抗I型胶原（COL I）和III型胶原（COL III）以及抗转化生长因子β1（TGFβ(1)）进行处理。与WKY大鼠相比，SHR的阴蒂海绵体平滑肌（CSM）、血管平滑肌含量更高；阴蒂血管壁中的TGFβ(1)更高；阴道和阴蒂血管的壁/腔比值更高；并且间质纤维化明显，表现为阴蒂和阴道间质中COL I和III的含量更高。SHR阴蒂和阴道组织中的神经纤维在神经束膜处显示出重要的纤维化。SHR的收缩压（SBP）与阴蒂CSM、阴蒂纤维化以及阴蒂中的COL I和III之间分别呈正相关。在阴道中，SBP与COL I和III之间也观察到类似的结果。总之，SHR在阴蒂血管以及阴蒂海绵体空间存在形态学改变，这些改变与高血压水平高度正相关。此外，细胞外基质的增加不仅影响阴蒂和阴道的间质，还影响阴蒂和阴道的神经结构。
