摘要Stem cell treatment may enhance erectile dysfunction(ED)in individuals with cavernous nerve injury(CNI).Nevertheless,no investigations have directly ascertained the implications of varying amounts of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells(HUC-MSCs)on ED.We compare the efficacy of three various doses of HUC-MSCs as a therapeutic strategy for ED.Sprague-Dawley rats(total=175)were randomly allocated into five groups.A total of 35 rats underwent sham surgery and 140 rats endured bilateral CNI and were treated with vehicles or doses of HUC-MSCs(1 × 106 cells,5 × 106 cells,and 1 × 107 cells in 0.1 ml,respectively).Penile tissues were harvested for histological analysis on 1 day,3 days,7 days,14 days,28 days,60 days,and 90 days postsurgery.It was found that varying dosages of HUC-MSCs enhanced the erectile function of rats with bilateral CNI and ED.Moreover,there was no significant disparity in the effectiveness of various dosages of HUC-MSCs.However,the expression of endothelial markers(rat endothelial cell antigen-1[RECA-1]and endothelial nitric oxide synthase[eNOS]),smooth muscle markers(alpha smooth muscle actin[α-SMA]and desmin),and neural markers(neurofilament[RECA-1]and neurogenic nitric oxide synthase[nNOS])increased significantly with prolonged treatment time.Masson's staining demonstrated an increased in the smooth muscle cell(SMC)/collagen ratio.Significant changes were detected in the microstructures of various types of cells.In vivo imaging system(IVIS)analysis showed that at the 1st day,the HUC-MSCs implanted moved to the site of damage.Additionally,the oxidative stress levels were dramatically reduced in the penises of rats administered with HUC-MSCs.