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Cellai I, Filippi S, Comeglio P, Cipriani S, Maseroli E, Di Stasi V, Todisco T, Marchiani S, Tamburrino L, Villanelli F, Vezzani S, Corno C, Fambrini M, Guarnieri G, Sarchielli E, Morelli A, Rastrelli G, Maggi M, Vignozzi L. Testosterone positively regulates vagina NO-induced relaxation: an experimental study in rats. J Endocrinol Invest 2022; 45:1161-1172. [PMID: 35072927 PMCID: PMC9098587 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-022-01743-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Female sexual response involves a complex interplay between neurophysiological mechanisms and the nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation of clitoris and vagina. The aim of this study was to evaluate sex steroids regulation of the relaxant pathway in vagina, using a validated animal model. METHODS Subgroups of OVX Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 17β-estradiol, testosterone, or testosterone and letrozole, and compared with a group of intact animals. Masson's trichrome staining was performed for morphological evaluation of the distal vaginal wall, in vitro contractility studies investigated the effect of OVX and in vivo treatments on vaginal smooth muscle activity. RNA from vaginal tissue was analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS Immunohistochemical analysis showed that OVX induced epithelial and smooth muscle structural atrophy, testosterone and testo + letrozole increased the muscle bundles content and organization without affecting the epithelium while 17β-estradiol mediated the opposite effects. In vitro contractility studies were performed on noradrenaline pre-contracted vaginal strips from each experimental group. Acetylcholine (0.001-10 µM) stimulation induced a concentration-dependent relaxation, significantly reduced by NO-synthase inhibitor L-NAME and by guanylate cyclase inhibitor ODQ. OVX resulted in a decreased responsiveness to acetylcholine, restored by testosterone, with or without letrozole, but not by 17β-estradiol. OVX sensitivity to the NO-donor SNP was higher than in the control. Vardenafil, a PDE5 inhibitor, enhanced SNP effect in OVX + testosterone as well as in control, as supported by RNA expression analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that testosterone improves the NO-mediated smooth muscle vaginal cells relaxation confirming its role in maintaining the integrity of muscular relaxant machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Cellai
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - S Filippi
- Interdepartmental Laboratory of Functional and Cellular Pharmacology of Reproduction, Department of Neurosciences, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - P Comeglio
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - S Cipriani
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - E Maseroli
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - V Di Stasi
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - T Todisco
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - S Marchiani
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - L Tamburrino
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - F Villanelli
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - S Vezzani
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - C Corno
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - M Fambrini
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - G Guarnieri
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - E Sarchielli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - A Morelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - G Rastrelli
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - M Maggi
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy
- I.N.B.B. (Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi), Viale delle Medaglie d'Oro 305, 00136, Rome, Italy
| | - L Vignozzi
- Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Excellence Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50134, Florence, Italy.
- I.N.B.B. (Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi), Viale delle Medaglie d'Oro 305, 00136, Rome, Italy.
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Ückert S, Richter K, Fischer KD, Albrecht K, Kuczyk MA. An Advanced Method for the Immunohistochemical Detection of Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS) in the Female Genital Tract. Anal Biochem 2021; 631:114264. [PMID: 34116059 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2021.114264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in male and female urogenital tissues has been investigated by using conventional light microscopical immunoperoxidase staining. We present an improved immunohistochemical method for the specific and simultaneous detection of endothelial and neuronal NOS (eNOS/nNOS) in vaginal tissue. Specific antibodies have been used in combination with the tyramide signal amplification method. We found a subepithelial meshwork of varicose nerve fibers. A subpopulation of fibers presented immunoreactivity specific for nNOS. Epithelial cells also showed cytoplasmatic labeling for nNOS. Arteries presenting signals for eNOS in their endothelial layer were found in close proximity to nNOS-positive nerve fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Ückert
- Hannover Medical School, Division of Surgery, Department of Urology & Urological Oncology, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Karin Richter
- Otto-von-Guericke University, Institute for Biochemistry & Cellular Biology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Klaus-Dieter Fischer
- Otto-von-Guericke University, Institute for Biochemistry & Cellular Biology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Knut Albrecht
- Brandenburg Federal Institute for Legal (Forensic) Medicine, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Markus A Kuczyk
- Hannover Medical School, Division of Surgery, Department of Urology & Urological Oncology, Hannover, Germany
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