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Exercise prevents Western diet-associated erectile dysfunction and coronary artery endothelial dysfunction: response to acute apocynin and sepiapterin treatment
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Exercise prevents Western diet-associated erectile dysfunction and coronary artery endothelial dysfunction: response to acute apocynin and sepiapterin treatment

Justin D La Favor, Ethan J Anderson, Jillian T Dawkins, Robert C Hickner and Christopher J Wingard
American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, Vol.305(4), pp.R423-R434
08/15/2013
DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00049.2013
PMCID: PMC4839473
PMID: 23761637
url
https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00049.2013View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate aerobic exercise training as a means to prevent erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD) development associated with inactivity and diet-induced obesity. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a Western diet (WD) or a control diet (CD) for 12 wk. Subgroups within each diet remained sedentary (Sed) or participated in aerobic interval treadmill running throughout the dietary intervention. Erectile function was evaluated under anesthesia by measuring the mean arterial pressure and intracavernosal pressure in response to electrical field stimulation of the cavernosal nerve, in the absence or presence of either apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, or sepiapterin, a tetrahydrobiopterin precursor. Coronary artery endothelial function (CAEF) was evaluated ex vivo with cumulative doses of ACh applied to preconstricted segments of the left anterior descending coronary artery. CAEF was assessed in the absence or presence of apocynin or sepiapterin. Erectile function ( P < 0.0001) and CAEF ( P < 0.001) were attenuated in WD-Sed. Exercise preserved erectile function ( P < 0.0001) and CAEF ( P < 0.05) within the WD. Erectile function ( P < 0.01) and CAEF ( P < 0.05) were augmented by apocynin only in WD-Sed, while sepiapterin ( P < 0.05) only augmented erectile function in WD-Sed. These data demonstrate that a chronic WD induces impairment in erectile function and CAEF that are commonly partially reversible by apocynin, whereas sepiapterin treatment exerted differential functional effects between the two vascular beds. Furthermore, exercise training may be a practical means of preventing diet-induced ED and CAD development.
high-intensity interval training high-fat high-sucrose endothelial nitric oxide synthase uncoupling NADPH oxidase Cardiovascular and Renal Integration Obesity, Diabetes and Energy Homeostasis diet-induced obesity

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