The effect of intracavernosal growth differentiation factor-5 therapy in a rat model of cavernosal nerve injury.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the intracavernosal application of growth differentiation factor-5 (GDF-5) influences nerve regeneration and erectile function after cavernosal nerve injury in a rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four equal groups: eight had a sham operation (uninjured controls), while 24 had bilateral cavernosal nerve crush. The crush-injury groups were treated at the time of injury with an impregnated collagen sponge implanted into the right corpus cavernosum. The sponge contained no GDF-5 (injured controls), 2 µg (low concentration), or 20 µg GDF-5 (high concentration). Erectile function was assessed by cavernosa…