ERECTILE AND COPULATORY DYSFUNCTION IN CHRONICALLY DIABETIC BB WOR RATS

The pituitary-testicular axis, penile reflexes, and copulatory behavior were studied in male BB diabetic rats from 10 to 40 wk of diabetes. Serum testosterone was diminished from 18 to 28 wk of diabetes, and the responses to human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation were blunted. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) in diabetic rats did not differ from that of the control rats before or after LH-releasing hormone stimulation. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone and prolactin levels were also similar to controls. After 26 wk of diabetes, androgen-sensitive reproductive accessory organs were significantly reduced in size. This also was true for the androgen-sensitive bulbocavernosus and ischiocavernosus muscles. Penile reflexes in these animals from 20 to 32 wk of diabetes were consistently reduced in number and demonstrated prolonged latency. Copulatory behavior was evaluated in these animals at 25 and 28 wk of diabetes and revealed a reduced number of BB diabetic rats showing normal behavior at 25 wk of diabetes. At 28 wk of diabetes, mount latency, intromission latency, ejaculatory latency, and the postejaculatory interval were all prolonged compared with controls. In addition, the number of diabetic animals showing normal behavior was reduced compared with controls. These studies demonstrate that chronically BB diabetic rats develop diminished testosterone and erectile dysfunction that precedes ejaculatory dysfunction in a similar fashion as impotence in diabetic men. We suggest that further studies in this animal model may be critical to the better understanding and treatment of impotence in diabetic men.