Androgens and Penile Erection: A Review

MILLS, THOMAS M.; REILLY, CHRISTOPHER M.; LEWIS, RONALD W.

doi:10.1002/j.1939-4640.1996.tb01847.x

Cited by 76 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 41 publications

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“…Therefore, variations in the dosage administered and duration of treatment could influence the nature of the damage caused. Drugs that enhance sexual function have been reported to act via an increase in circulating level of testosterone, which is the male sex hormone responsible, among others, for enhancing sexual drive via central and peripheral effects (Mills et al 1996). Indeed, testosterone supplementation has been shown to improve libido, orgasm and ejaculation (Fabbri, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathological, biochemical and hormonal changes associated with prolonged administration of methanol extract of <i>Garcinia kola</i> seed in adult male Wistar rats.

Alaka,

Olaniyi,

Mshelbwala

et al. 2023

Nig. Vet. J.

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Garcinia kola (GK) seed is believed to possess aphrodisiac properties hence its traditional use to manage erectile dysfunctions in man. However, there has been conflicting reports of its long-term effects on the male reproductive organs. In this study, the effect of varying doses of methanol extract of GK on testicular function and structure in Wistar rats was evaluated. Forty adult male rats (350-360g) were randomly divided into 4 groups. Groups 1, 2 and 3 received oral doses of 600mg/kg, 400mg/kg and 100mg/kg of the extract daily, respectively for 70 days while group 4 (control group) received normal saline (0.9% NaCl). Blood samples were collected fortnightly from each rat for serum chemistry and testosterone analysis. At termination, the testes, epididymides and livers were harvested, weighed and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and processed for histopathology. The results were presented as mean ± standard error of mean (SEM) and analyzed using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at P< 0.05. Dose-related pathological changes were observed in the testes and epididymides. Testicular weight decreased significantly (p<0.05) in 400mg/kg and 600mg/kg groups compared to the control group. There was testicular necrosis associated with distortion of the seminiferous tubular wall and reduced seminiferous tubular diameter. Seminiferous tubules had reduced germinal epithelial thickness along with an absence of viable spermatids and spermatozoa. Serum testosterone levels decreased progressively (p < 0.01) in groups 1 and 2 while those of groups 3 and 4 remain unchanged. The results established that ingestion of methanol extracts of GK seed at the dose of 400mg/kg and 600mg/kg produced significant gonadal pathology in adult male Wistar rats despite the absence of remarkable hepatic biochemical and structural changes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathological, biochemical and hormonal changes associated with prolonged administration of methanol extract of <i>Garcinia kola</i> seed in adult male Wistar rats.

Alaka,

Olaniyi,

Mshelbwala

et al. 2023

Nig. Vet. J.

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Androgenic Maintenance of the Rat Erectile Response Via a Non‐Nitric‐Oxide‐Dependent Pathway

REILLY,

LEWIS,

STOPPER

et al. 1997

Journal of Andrology

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Prior studies have demonstrated that the erectile response in the rat penis is androgen dependent and is mediated by nitric oxide (NO), the neurotransmitter synthesized by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The present studies used l‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME), an inhibitor of NOS, to determine if androgens also regulate alternative pathways leading to the erectile response but not mediated by NO. Castrated rats that were treated with L‐NAME (L‐NAME CASTRATE) exhibited little or no increase in intracavemosal pressure in response to stimulation of the major pelvic ganglion. This ganglion controls blood flow into the penis and, when stimulated, normally leads to erection. However, when castrated animals were treated with testosterone along with L‐NAME (L‐NAME TESTO), the animals responded to the ganglionic stimulation with increased intracavemosal pressure. This finding suggests that there are other androgen‐dependent pathways that lead to penile erection but are not mediated by NO. Erection occurred in both L‐NAME CASTRATE and L‐NAME TESTO rats in response to intracavemosal injection of sodium nitroprusside (an NO donor drug), proving that the NO responsive mechanisms were unaffected by the inhibition of NOS activity. To investigate further the nature of this NO independent pathway, L‐NAME CASTRATE and L‐NAME TESTO rats were treated with either zaprinast (a specific phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor), which would block the breakdown of cGMP to 5′GMP, or methylene blue (an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase) to prevent the synthesis of cGMP. Zaprinast treatment led to increased erectile response in L‐NAME TESTO rats but not in L‐NAME CASTRATE rats, demonstrating that androgen‐sensitive alternative pathways increased guanylate cyclase activity. Methylene blue inhibited the erectile response in all treatment groups, showing that cyclic GMP is critical to the NO‐independent pathway as well as the NO‐dependent pathway. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that androgens maintain the erectile response by alternate pathways, including one that is independent of NO but involves the synthesis of cyclic GMP.

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Mills,

Reilly

1997

Journal of Andrology

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Androgens and Penile Erection: A Review

Cited by 76 publications

References 41 publications

Pathological, biochemical and hormonal changes associated with prolonged administration of methanol extract of <i>Garcinia kola</i> seed in adult male Wistar rats.

Pathological, biochemical and hormonal changes associated with prolonged administration of methanol extract of <i>Garcinia kola</i> seed in adult male Wistar rats.

Androgenic Maintenance of the Rat Erectile Response Via a Non‐Nitric‐Oxide‐Dependent Pathway

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