RhoA/ROCK activation in major pelvic ganglion mediates caspase-3 dependent nitrergic neuronal apoptosis following cavernous nerve injury

Severe erectile dysfunction （ED） remains a significant side effect among men following surgical intervention for treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer, despite development of nerve-sparing techniques （Weyne et al., 2015a; Sopko and Burnett, 2016）. The type of axonal injury due to prostatectomy is a classic peripheral neuropathy with an acute inflammatory phase that leads to Wallerian degeneration of the canvernous nerve （CN）, which can be followed by a regenerative phase characterized by enhanced neu- rotrophic factor activation and reduction in neuroinflam- mation （Weyne et al., 2015b）.