Electrical activity of the corpus cavernosum in denervated rats

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the electrical activity of the corpus cavernosum after intracavernous papaverine injection in rats that had been denervated experimentally. METHODS: Twenty-four male adult Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: (i) controls (n=8) (ii) unilateral cavernous nerve resection on the right side (n=8); and (iii) bilateral cavernous nerve resection (n=8). Through a suprapubic incision, the urinary bladder was retracted laterally to locate the major pelvic plexus on the lateral surface of the prostate. The major branch of the cavernous nerve, running caudally from the pelvic plexus, was isolated and excised using an operating microscope. Three weeks later, recording of the electrical activity of the corpus cavernosum (EACC) was performed by using a Neuropack-2 EMG unit (Nihon Kohden, Tokyo, Japan) and coencentric needle electrode. Changes in amplitude were evaluated before and after intracavernosal papaverine injection. The results in the flaccid state and after papaverine injection were compared by using the Mann Whitney U-test in all three groups and paired t-test between groups. RESULTS: In the flaccid penis, the mean (+/- SD) amplitude of electrical activity of the corpus cavernosum was 17.42+/-2.05, 12.42+/-1.88, 9.71+/-1.59 and 5.85+/-0.96 microV in control rats, in unilaterally denervated rats (in which the cavernous nerve was intact on the left side), in unilaterally denervated rats in which the cavernous nerve was resected on the right side and in bilaterally denervated rats, respectively. In the flaccid state, EACC is lower in the bilaterally denervated group than in the control and unilaterally nerve-resected groups (P < or = 0.05). The recording of electrical activity of the corpus cavernosum was continued for 20 min after papaverine injection. In the control group and in both groups of unilaterally denervated rats, we observed a significant decrease in the electrical activity of the corpus cavernosum in the first 5 min after papaverine injection (P < or = 0.05). However, no difference was observed in bilaterally denervated rats after injection (P > or = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that electrical activity of the corpus cavernosum continues after unilateral nerve injury in rats. Cross-innervation may play a role in penile innervation and corpus cavernosum electromyography shows electrical activity in denervated rats.