Effects of dutasteride and tamsulosin on penile morphology in a rodent model

Forty male rats were assigned into the following groups: Control group (C, receiving distilled water, n=10); Dutasteride group (D, receiving 0.5 mg/Kg/day of dutasteride, n=10); Tamsulosin group (T, receiving 0.4 mg/Kg/day of tamsulosin, n=10); and Dutasteride associated with Tamsulosin group (DT, receiving both drugs n = 10). All drugs were administered via oral gavage. After 40 days, the animals were submitted to euthanasia and their penises were collected for histomorphometric analyses. Data were compared using one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post-test, considering p<0.05 as significant.

Results

The sinusoidal space and smooth muscle fiber surface densities (Sv), and the cross-sectional penile areas of rats in groups D, T and DT were reduced in comparison to controls with the most notable reductions in the combined therapy group. The connective tissue and elastic system fibers Sv were augmented in groups D, T and DT in comparison with the control group, again with the most pronounced changes observed in animals receiving the combined therapy.

Conclusion

Both treatments with dutasteride or tamsulosin promoted penile morphometric modifications in a rodent model. The combination therapy resulted in more notable modifications. The results of this study may help to explain the erectile dysfunction observed in some men using these drugs.

Erectile Dysfunction; Prostatic Hyperplasia; Dutasteride

	C	D	T	DT	p value*
Initial body weight (g)	286.6 ± 9.0	287.8 ± 21.5	288.0 ± 9.5	293.4 ± 13.4	0.724
Final body weight (g)	321.5 ± 5.4	333.4 ± 9.2	324.8 ± 11.0	322.1 ± 16.9	0.094
Cross-sectional penile area (mm²)	4.83 ± 0.56	4.05 ± 0.25 ^a	3.98 ± 0.41 ^a	3.54 ± 0.23 ^a	<0.0001
Area of the corpus cavernosum - including tunica albuginea (mm²)	3.33 ± 0.34	2.79 ± 0.19 ^a	2.84 ± 0.32 ^a	2.39 ± 0.18 ^{a, b, c}	<0.0001
Area of the corpus cavernosum - without tunica albuginea (mm²)	2.00 ± 0.17	1.90 ± 0.09	1.77 ± 0.24 ^a	1.56 ± 0.14 ^{a, b}	<0.0001
Area of the tunica albuginea (mm²)	1.33 ± 0.24	0.96 ± 0.04 ^a	1,07 ± 0.13 ^a	0.88 ± 0.10 ^a	<0.0001
Connective tissue Sv (%)	46.44 ± 3.75	66.69 ± 4.23 ^a	61.44 ± 5.5⁷ a	70.08 ± 3.64 ^{a, c}	<0.0001
Sinusoidal space Sv (%)	30.18 ± 4.85	21.38 ± 3.44 ^a	22.13 ± 3.77 ^a	19.02 ± 2.96^a	<0.0001
Smooth muscle fibers Sv (%)	22.12 ± 1.94	10.90 ± 1.35 ^a	15.43 ± 2.48 ^a	9.90 ± 1.37 ^{a, c}	<0.0001
Elastic system fibers Sv (%)	12.44 ± 2.66	19.25 ± 2.08^a	14.25 ± 1.82	19.80 ± 2.51 ^{a, c}	<0.0001

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[1] Correspondence address: Diogo Benchimol de Souza, PhD Unidade de Pesquisa Urogenital, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - Uerj Av. 28 de Setembro, 87, Fundos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20551-030, Brasil Telephone: +55 21 2868-8021 E-mail: diogobenchimol@gmail.com