Exploration of the effect of pulmonary fibrosis on erectile function in rats: A study based on bioinformatics and experimental research

First, the bioinformatics database was used to predict the potential targets and signaling pathways of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) leading to erectile dysfunction (ED), and bleomycin sulfate was used to create a PF rat model. Then, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blotting, Real‐time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) were used to detect the expression of sex hormones and related proteins and mRNA, and Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to compare the pathological changes of penile tissue. The results showed that, compared with group A, cyclic guanosine phosphate (cGMP) content in group B decreased, protein kinase CGMP‐dependent 1(PKG1) and nitric oxide synthase 3 (eNOS) protein and mRNA expression were down‐regulated, and phosphodiesterase 5A (PDE5A) protein and mRNA expression was up‐regulated (p < .05); the penile tissue of rats in group B had pathological damage. And there was no change in sex hormone‐related indicators in the two groups (p > .05). Therefore, PF inhibits erectile function by inhibiting the cGMP‐PKG pathway and reducing the expression of eNOS and PKG1 protein and mRNA. And by up‐regulating the expression of PDE5A to impair erectile function.

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