Improved Sexual Function During Recombinant Human Erythropoietin Therapy

Abstract

In seven male haemodialysis patients, living with a constant sexual partner, sexual life (self-administered questionnaire) and sex hormones were evaluated before and 3 or 10 months after commencement of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) therapy respectively. Haematocrit increased from 22.2 +/- 2.1% to 30.6 +/- 1% with a maintenance dose of 140 +/- 55 U/kg per week. Two patients were hypertensive before and after rHuEpo therapy; antihypertensive medication was kept constant during the study. Self-reported sexual function improved in four of seven patients, including libido and erection. This was paralleled by improved indices of wellbeing (physical fitness, mental alertness). In contrast, serum values of sexual hormones (testosterone or oestradiol) and of basal and stimulated (LHRH/TRH), prolactin and LH, and FSH were not significantly changed during rHuEpo therapy.

Erythropoietin Accelerates Functional Recovery After Peripheral Nerve Injury

“…Although a number of models have been used to investigate the theoretical efficacy of treatments for peripheral nerve injury 38,39 , the rodent sciatic nerve model has some advantages. First, it is a well-established model both in the rat 24,26,28,29 and the mouse 15,27,40 . Second, and perhaps more importantly, it allows a functional assay of motor nerve regeneration and therefore is of particular clinical relevance.…”

“…Patients treated with erythropoietin show a reproducible improvement in peripheral neuronal function, even when peripheral neuropathy is not the chief symptom 15 .…”

Serum zinc and hormonal profile in male dialysis patients receiving human recombinant erythropoietin

“…Improvement of sexual function after rHuEpo treatment was attributed to normalization of elevated prolactin concentrations (28) , but has not yet been confirmed (2,15) . Patients in dialysis complaining of sexual dysfunction after correction of anemia with rHuEpo were characterized by higher levels of serum testosterone, but not by suppression of hyperprolactinemia or hyperestrogenism (16) .…”

“…The use of rHuEpo therapy appears to relieve sexual dysfunction (2) and to increase serum testosterone levels in uremic patients (33) . These effects are probably the result of anemia correction, improvement in nutritional status and/or a direct metabolic action of rHuEpo (21) .…”

Perfil hormonal sexual de mulheres em programa crônico de diálise em tratamento com eritropoetina humana recombinante

“…A disfunção sexual, a infertilidade e a diminuição da libido eram amplamente conhecidas em homens e mulheres, e estas apresentavam alterações menstruais, classicamente, amenorréia 4,5 , o que levou à publicação de vários estudos de dosagens hormonais no final dos anos 70 e início dos anos 80 4,6,7,8,9,10,11 . O uso clínico da EPO permitiu o tratamento adequado, eficaz e sem os riscos descritos da anemia, além de melhora da qualidade de vida 2,12,13,14 e da função sexual de homens e mulheres 12,13,15 . Desde então, existem na literatura inúmeros relatos sobre a melhora da impotência em homens, havendo comparativamente uma escassez de dados sobre o perfil hormonal sexual das mulheres em programa crônico de diálise.…”