Macrophage-Specific Toll Like Receptor 9 (TLR9) Causes Corpus Cavernosum Dysfunction in Mice Fed a High Fat Diet.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been shown to be related with inflammatory markers in humans. Chronic infusion of TNF-α caused ED in mice while TNF-α knockout mice exhibited improvement in the relaxation of the corpus cavernosum (CC).

Aim

Since obesity triggers an inflammatory process, we aimed to investigate the hypothesis that in obesity, Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) activation leads to increased TNF-α levels and impairment in CC reactivity.

Methods

Four-week old male C57BL6 (WT) and TLR9 mutant (TLR9_MUT) mice were fed a standard chow or high fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Body weight and nonfasting blood glucose were analyzed. Contractile and relaxation responses of the CC were evaluated by electrical field stimulation and concentration response cu

SUBMITTER: Priviero F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8068605 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature