The Effects of Melatonin on Ischemia-Reperfusion Induced Changes in Rat Corpus Cavernosum

Purposes: We determined the change in contractile activity and oxidant damage after ischemia-reperfusion of rat corpus cavernosum and investigated the effects of melatonin (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Missouri) on these parameters.Materials and Methods: The abdominal aorta of male Wistar albino rats was occluded to induce ischemia-reperfusion. Melatonin (10 mg./kg.) or vehicle (1% alcohol in saline per kg.) was administered subcutaneously before ischemia-reperfusion. In the sham operated control group the abdominal aorta was left intact and the rats were treated with melatonin or vehicle. After decapitation corporeal tissues were placed in organ baths or stored for biochemical measurements.Results: In sham operated rats phenylephrine added cumulatively caused a concentration dependent contraction in corpus cavernosum strips precontracted with KCl and acetylcholine added cumulatively to strips precontracted with phenylephrine caused a dose dependent relaxation response. In the ischemia-reperfusion group...