Impairment of shear-stress-mediated vasodilation of cavernous arteries in erectile dysfunction

Int J Impot Res. 2004 Feb;16(1):39-42. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijir.3901122.

Abstract

Penile NO release test (PNORT) has been designed to try to evaluate clinically the penile endothelial function (PEF). The shear-stress flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the cavernous arteries is evaluated in two groups of patients with neurogenic (n=23) and vasculogenic (n=23) erectile dysfunction (ED) by measuring their percent of increase after a 5 min occlusion of the flow. Both groups show an important FMD decrease (17.78+/-11.78 and 17.82+/-13%) as compared to the age-matched control group (n=12) (65.14+/-30.5%, P<0.001). In the vasculogenic and control groups, mean FMD is lower in patients with one or more arterial risk factors(41 vs 67%, P=0.025), and show a positive correlation with the plasmatic levels of bioavailable testosterone (r=0.37, P=0.03) and of DHEA-S (r=0.46, P=0.014). Patients achieving full erection at pharmacological test with visual sexual stimulation have a higher FMD (43.8+/-38%) than those who did not (18.52+/-14.37%, P=0.008). We confirm clinically that PEF is strongly impaired in organic ED linked to neurological, vascular and endocrine factors.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Aging
  • Arteries / physiopathology
  • Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / blood
  • Endothelium, Vascular / metabolism
  • Endothelium, Vascular / physiopathology
  • Erectile Dysfunction / diagnosis*
  • Erectile Dysfunction / epidemiology
  • Erectile Dysfunction / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism*
  • Penile Erection / physiology*
  • Penis / blood supply
  • Penis / physiology
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Testosterone / blood
  • Vasodilation / physiology*

Substances

  • Nitric Oxide
  • Testosterone
  • Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate