Clarifying the relative impacts of vascular and nerve injury that culminate in erectile dysfunction in a pilot study using a rat model of prostate irradiation and a thrombopoietin mimetic

Radiation-induced erectile dysfunction (RI-ED) following prostate cancer radiation therapy is a significant survivorship problem. The etiology of this condition has been postulated to result from injury to the penile vessels, nerves or both. To address this gap in knowledge, we applied a vascular radioprotectant to a rat model of RI-ED. Protecting the vasculature did not improve erectile function or prevent nerve injury, suggesting a critical role for RT-mediated nerve damage in RI-ED.

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