Castela Angela, Vendeira Pedro, Costa Carla
Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology of the University of Porto (IBMC-UP), Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal.
ISRN Endocrinol. 2011;2011:839149. doi: 10.5402/2011/839149. Epub 2011 Sep 6.
Experimental and clinical studies have reported that testosterone has a critical role in the maintenance of homeostatic and morphologic corpus cavernosum components, essential for normal erectile physiology. Although the exact mechanisms mediated by testosterone in erectile function are still under investigation, recent research has suggested an important role in the regulation of endothelial cell (EC) biological functions. Besides stimulating the production of EC mediators, testosterone is also thought to promote the vasculogenic reendothelialization process, mediated by bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells. Additionally, testosterone seems to modulate other erectile tissue components, including trabecular smooth muscle cells, nerve fibers, and tunica albuginea structure, all essential for the erectile process. This paper summarizes current data regarding testosterone-induced cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate penile tissue components, focusing particularly on the role of testosterone in endothelial health and erectile function.
实验和临床研究报告称，睾酮在维持海绵体的稳态和形态学成分方面起着关键作用，而这些成分对于正常勃起生理功能至关重要。尽管睾酮在勃起功能中所介导的确切机制仍在研究中，但最近的研究表明其在调节内皮细胞（EC）生物学功能方面具有重要作用。除了刺激EC介质的产生外，睾酮还被认为可促进由骨髓来源的内皮祖细胞介导的血管生成性再内皮化过程。此外，睾酮似乎还可调节其他勃起组织成分，包括小梁平滑肌细胞、神经纤维和白膜结构，这些对于勃起过程均至关重要。本文总结了有关睾酮诱导的调节阴茎组织成分的细胞和分子机制的当前数据，特别关注睾酮在内皮健康和勃起功能中的作用。
