Cyanidin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside concentrated materials from mulberry fruit have a potency to protect erectile function by minimizing oxidative stress in a rat model of diabetic erectile dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cyanidin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (C3G) concentrated materials from mulberry fruit on improvement and protection of erectile function.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats (12 weeks old) were divided into three groups (n = 12 in each): normal control, diabetes mellitus (DM), and DM with C3G concentrated material treatment (DM + C3G). DM and DM + C3G group rats received a single injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg), and 4 weeks after induction of diabetes, the DM + C3G group rats were treated with daily concentrated material treatment (10 mg/kg) dissolved in water for 8 weeks. After 12 weeks of streptozotocin injections, the rats in each group underwent intracavernosal pressure measurement and then the corporal tissues were sampled.

RESULTS

The DM group rats showed markedly lower erectile parameters than those in the control group, whereas rats in the DM + C3G group showed improved erectile function by minimizing corporal apoptosis and increasing the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and neuronal NOS protein. A significant increase in 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was shown in the DM group compared with the normal group. However, in the DM + C3G group, 8-OHdG was statistically significantly reduced compared with the DM group.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study is the first to suggest that C3G concentrated materials may have a potency to improve and protect erectile function under conditions of diabetes-induced oxidative stress.