Efficient use of penile Doppler ultrasound for investigating men with erectile dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Vasculogenic erectile dysfunction is the most common type of erectile dysfunction, and penile Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) is a useful tool to assess erectile hemodynamics in the clinician's effort to discuss prognosis and management strategies with the patient. AIM: We herein describe the PDUS protocol used at our center, including indications, technique, and data interpretation. METHODS: We describe our institutional experience with PDUS and discuss it in the context of a contemporary review of the literature for this investigation. OUTCOME: Our institutional PDUS protocol. RESULTS: To perform PDUS properly, adequate training, equipment, setting, technique, and interpretation are critical. The accuracy of PDUS is entirely predicated on achieving complete cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation. A redosing protocol optimizes the reliability and reproducibility of the hemodynamic data acquired during PDUS. A rigidity-based assessment is performed, and patients are scanned according to the erection rigidity achieved (full hardness) or by administration of maximum dose of the vasoactive agent. Peak systolic velocity is considered a measure of arterial inflow (normal, >30 cm/s), while end diastolic velocity evaluates the veno-occlusive mechanism (normal, <5 cm/s). After the procedure, the patient is evaluated to confirm detumescence. If the patient has a persistent penetration rigidity erection, intracavernosal phenylephrine is administered; however, if detumescence is not achieved with intracavernosal phenylephrine injections alone, corporal aspiration is potentially performed. CONCLUSION: PDUS is a valuable minimally invasive tool for erectile hemodynamics assessment and an accurate assessment of such, provided that complete cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation is achieved.

Effect of Intracavernosal Injection of Prostaglandin E1 on Duration and Rigidity of Erection in Patients With Vasculogenic Erectile Dysfunction: Is It Dose Dependent?

OBJECTIVE: To assess if the effect of intracavernosal injection of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on duration and rigidity of erection is dose dependent in patients with different types of vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (ED)? METHODS: A hundred patients with ED were assigned into 4 groups (n = 25/each); group (A) patients with arteriogenic ED, group (B) patients with veno-occlusive ED, group (C) patients with mixed (arteriogenic and veno-occlusive) ED, and group (D) patients who have only psychogenic ED (control). After intracavernosal injection of PGE1, patients were assessed using penile Doppler ultrasonography and erection hardness score together with calculation of erection duration. The starting dose of PGE1 was 5 µg which was increased to 10 µg and 20 µg as a maximal dose when needed. RESULTS: The mean PSV of patients in groups A, B, C, and D were 24.38 ± 3.3, 37.74 ± 8.28, 22.24 ± 3.85, and 47.76 ± 6.27, respectively. In group D, 88% have achieved the best response at dose of 5 µg while 5.3%, 21.7%, and 0% have achieved the best response at dose of 5 µg in groups A, B, and C, respectively (P < .05 for each). The rest of patients have required either 10 or 20µg to achieve the best response. Patients in group C have required the highest dose of PGE1 to achieve the best response (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Intracavernosal injection of PGE1 in escalating doses have improved the rigidity and duration of erection in patients with different types of vasculogenic ED. Patients with mixed arteriogenic and veno-occlusive ED have required the highest dose of PGE1 to achieve the best response.

Erectile Dysfunction Resistant to Medical Treatment Caused by Cavernovenous Leakage: An Innovative Surgical Approach Combining Pre-operative Work Up, Embolisation, and Open Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Thirty per cent of cases of erectile dysfunction (ED)/male impotence are resistant to oral treatment. Half of these cases are due to blood drainage from the corpora cavernosa occurring too soon, due to cavernovenous leakage (CVL). The aim of this study was to report on an innovative treatment scheme combining pre- and post-operative haemodynamic assessment, venous embolisation, and open surgery for drug resistant ED caused by CVL. METHODS: An analysis of prospectively collected data, with clinical and haemodynamic pre- and post-operative assessment, was carried out. Forty-five consecutive patients operated on for drug resistant ED caused by CVL were evaluated pre-operatively and three months post-operatively by pharmacologically challenged penile duplex sonography (PC-PDS), pharmacologically challenged Erection Hardness Score (PC-EHS), and pharmacologically challenged computed caverno tomography (PC-CCT). Follow up consisted of patient interview, PC-PDS, PC-EHS and if needed PC-CCT. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 43.9 ± 12.0 years (range 20-67). Forty-nine per cent of patients had primary ED. Patients with diabetes, a smoking habit, hypercholesterolaemia, and hypertension were 18%, 11%, 9%, and 4%, respectively. Three months post-operatively, PC-EHS increased from 2.0 ± 0.7 to 3.1 ± 0.74 (p < .001), with an EHS of 3 being the threshold allowing for penetration. Deep dorsal vein velocity, a haemodynamic marker of CVL, decreased from 14.2 ± 13.0 to 0.9 ± 3.5 cm/s (p < .001). After a 14.0 ± 10.7 month follow up, the primary success rate (clinical EHS ≥ 3, possible sexual intercourse with penetration, no vascular re-operation, no penile prosthesis implant) was 73.3%. Four patients (9%) underwent successful re-operation for persistent ED and CVL. Accordingly, compared with a possible penetration rate of 8.9% before surgery, 37 patients (secondary success rate: 82.2%) were able to achieve sexual intercourse with penetration. Type of ED (primary vs. secondary) and diabetes had no influence on the results. Thirty-two per cent of patients with secondary success achieved penetration with no medication. CONCLUSIONS: After a 14 month follow up, pre-operative work up, embolisation, and open surgery during the same procedure allowed patients with ED resistant to oral medical to achieve intercourse with penetration.

Erectile Dysfunction in Peripheral Vascular Disease: Endovascular Revascularization as a Potential Therapeutic Target.

INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects more than 150 million men worldwide, with deleterious effects on quality of life. ED is known to be associated with ischemic heart disease but the impact of ED in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is unknown. We assessed the prevalence and severity of ED in patients with PVD. METHODS: Following ethical approval, sequential male patients diagnosed with PAD over a 1-year period following diagnosis of intermittent claudication. The patient demographics and comorbidities were recorded, with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire used to grade severity of ED. Computed tomographic angiography and severity of stenosis in the proximal vessels and internal pudendal arteries were correlated using a modified Bollinger Matrix scoring system. RESULTS: 60 patients were recruited, most (77.2%) reported erectile dysfunction (52.5% severe, 22.5% moderate). Patients with severe ED were more likely to have 2 or more comorbidities (P = .009). 86.7% with severe ED had bilateral internal pudendal artery stenosis with a mean modified Bollinger score of 17.6. 35.5% of moderate ED patients had bilateral internal pudendal stenosis with a mean Bollinger score of 11.75. There was significant difference in overall scores between moderate and severe erectile dysfunction (p< 0.05), thus indicating a potential link between ED severity and extent of vessel stenosis. CONCLUSION: There is a substantial burden of clinically significant ED among patients with PAD. This study suggests ED should be discussed with all PAD patients and ED may precede a PAD diagnosis. There is scope for endovascular revascularization as a treatment option for ED secondary to arterial insufficiency.

Erectile dysfunction is associated with defective L-cysteine/hydrogen sulfide pathway in human corpus cavernosum and penile arteries.

H2S signaling was proposed to participate in erectile physiology. L-cysteine (CYS)/H2S pathway stimulation causes cGMP-dependent relaxation of human corpus cavernosum (HCC) and penile arteries (HPRA). The aim was to evaluate the impact of ED on CYS/H2S pathway at functional and molecular level in human penile vascular tissues. NaHS- and CYS-induced responses were evaluated in HCC and HPRA from organ donors without ED (NoED, n = 29) and from ED patients undergoing penile prosthesis insertion (n = 45). cGMP accumulation and cystathionine ß-synthase and cystathionine γ-lyase expression were also determined. NaHS-induced relaxations were slightly but significantly impaired in HCC but not in HPRA from ED patients. In contrast, CYS-induced relaxations were markedly impaired in HCC (Emax 67.6 ± 4.9% vs 46.2 ± 4.6%, P < 0.01) and HPRA (Emax 80.8 ± 4.0% vs 48.1 ± 8.6%, P < 0.05) from men with ED. Impairment of CYS-induced responses was observed even after separating diabetic ED patients. In HPRA from ED patients, CYS- but not NaHS-induced vasodilation was significantly associated to endothelial function measured as vasodilatory capacity of acetylcholine (ACh) in these preparations (r2 = 0.481, P < 0.01). Impairment of CYS-induced relaxations was related to significant reduction in CYS-induced accumulation of cGMP in cavernosal tissue. Furthermore, the expression of H2S synthesizing enzymes was significantly reduced in HCC from ED patients with respect to NoED. This was confirmed by immunofluorescence in HCC and HPRA sections. ED involves impairment of CYS/H2S pathway in penile vascular tissues associated with decreased expression of H2S generating enzymes, CBS and CSE. These evidences support a therapeutic potential for modulation of CYS/H2S signaling in the management of ED.

Time-effect of penile color duplex Doppler ultrasound for diagnosing vascular erectile dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to explore the time-effect of color duplex Doppler ultrasound (CDDU) in the diagnosis of vascular erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using a self-control study, we included patients who underwent penile CDDU and cavernosography in our hospital. We compared the arterial peak systolic velocity (PSV) of CDDU among different intervals for the diagnosis of arterial ED. We included 357 patients who were under consideration for vascular ED. RESULTS: We found significant differences in all the pairwise comparison of PSV in the 1st (0-5 min), 2nd (6-10 min), 3rd (11-15 min), and 4th (16-20 min) 4 intervals after the injection of prostaglandin E1 (p<0.001), except the 11-15 min vs. the 16-20 min interval (p=0.387). Using cavernosography, 294 patients were diagnosed with venous ED. Compared with other intervals, the diagnosis of CDDU 11-15 min after the intracavernous injection of 20 ug prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) had the best consistency with cavernosography (Kappa=0.761; p<0.001). Compared with other intervals, CDDU at 11-15 min had the highest specificity (93.65%), the highest Youden index (0.85), positive likelihood ratio of 14.46, positive predictive value of 98.54%, negative predictive value of 71.08% and a coincidence rate of 92.16%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the increased utilization of CDDU for the diagnosis of both arterial and venous ED. The diagnosis at 11-15 min after intracavernous injection of PGE1 is accurate and stable, which would help to simplify the process and shorten the time of CDDU.

Couplet medicines of leech and centipede granules improve erectile dysfunction via inactivation of the CaSR/PLC/PKC signaling in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the significant complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), and CASR plays an important role in cellular antiapoptosis and NO production in the vascular endothelium by activating PKC. The present study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of Leech and Centipede Granules (LCG) through the CaSR/PLC/PKC signaling. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with streptozotocin to induce the DM model. After 10 weeks, an apomorphine test was used to confirm DMED. Rats with DMED were administrated with LCG and U73122 for 4 weeks. Fasting blood glucose, body weight, insulin and glucagon levels were measured. Erectile function in rats was assessed by apomorphine. Serums were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry, and penile tissues were harvested for histologic and the expression of related targets analyses. After treatment, fasting blood glucose, body weight, insulin, glucagon levels, and erectile function were significantly ameliorated in the LCG groups. The LOX-1, NOX, and EMPs concentrations were significantly decreased with LCG treatment. LCG also continuously increased NO and decreased ET-1 content in penile tissues. LCG and U73122 administration also improved penile fibrosis by significantly decreasing VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and CD62P. The data also showed that LCG reduced the apoptosis level in the penis. Furthermore, the inhibited activation of the CaSR/PLC/PKC pathway was observed in DMED rats with LCG treatment. Collectively, LCG significantly ameliorated erectile function of DMED rats via increased NO generation, inhibiting endothelial cells apoptosis and penile fibrosis, which might benefit from the suppression of CaSR/PLC/PKC pathway in DMED rats.

Vacuum therapy prevents corporeal veno-occlusive dysfunction and penile shrinkage in a cavernosal nerve injured rat model.

Erectile dysfunction and penile shrinkage are the common complications after radical prostatectomy. Penile rehabilitation is widely applied after the surgery. Vacuum therapy is one of the three penile rehabilitation methods used in the clinical setting, but its mechanism is not well known. This study was designed to investigate whether vacuum erectile device (VED) can prevent corporeal veno-occlusive dysfunction and penile shrinkage in the bilateral cavernous nerve crush (BCNC) rat model. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups: sham group, BCNC group, and BCNC + VED group. After 4 weeks, penile length and intracavernosal pressure (ICP) were measured, and then the middle part of the penis was harvested after dynamic infusion cavernosometry to complete the following items: smooth muscle/collagen ratios and collagen I/III ratios; ultramicrostructure of the tunica albuginea, endothelial cell, and smooth muscle cell; and the expression of calponin-1 and osteopontin. The penile shortening, peak ICP and ICP drop rate after alprostadil injection were significantly improved with vacuum therapy after 4-week treatment. Compared with BCNC group, VED significantly increased smooth muscle/collagen ratios, decreased collagen I/III ratios, and preserved the ultramicrostructure of the tunica albuginea, endothelial cell, and smooth muscle cell. The data also showed that animals exposed to VED could partially reverse the expression of calponin-1 and osteopontin induced by BCNC. In conclusion, vacuum therapy is effective to prevent penile shrinkage and veno-occlusive dysfunction in penile rehabilitation, which may be associated with well-preserved structure and function of the tunica albuginea, endothelial cell, and smooth muscle cell.

Distribution of psychogenic and vascular impotence in a tertiary health-care center's cohort: A retrospective study using penile Doppler imaging.

PURPOSE: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the penile color Doppler ultrasound (PCDU) scans of the patients who had admitted to our clinic with erectile dysfunction and aimed to evaluate the contribution of penile Doppler scan results to the clinical decisions. MATERIAL-METHOD: The data of patients admitted to our outpatient clinic with complaints of erectile dysfunction (IIEF-5 score<22 or IIEF-EF score<26) between January 2005 and January 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients whose testosterone level is lower than 280ng/ml or who had undergone radical prostatectomy were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: Three thousand ninety patients were included in the study. The mean age of our patients was 55.05±13.05 years. In total, 2139 (69%) patients had normal PCDU findings, 351 (11%) patients had arterial insufficiency, 531 (17%) patients had venous insufficiency, and 69 (2%) patients had arterial insufficiency with concurrent venous leakage. When the patients were divided into 2 groups ≤40 years (Group 1) old and >40 years (Group 2) old; normal PCDU findings were found in 432 patients (84%) of the Group 1 patients and normal PCDU findings in 1707 (66%) patients of the Group 2 patients (p<0.0001). There were arterial insufficiency findings in 24 (4.7%) and 327 (12.7%) patients of the Group 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: The etiology is psychogenic in the majority of patients who present with ED complaints to the urology clinic. With age, the prevalence of psychogenic ED is decreasing but still more than organic.

Radial shockwave therapy for male erectile rejuvenation in a dermatology and/or medical aesthetic practice.

INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to achieve and maintain an erection to satisfactorily complete intercourse. Treatment depends on the cause and includes phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor medications, penile pumps, implants, and surgery. Low-intensity shockwave therapy has been shown to be effective and safe for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. OBJECTIVE: We explored the role of low-intensity radial shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction treatment in a dermatology and/or medical aesthetic practice setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was conducted on radial low-intensity shockwave technology in use for erectile rejuvenation to explore its positioning, safety, efficacy, tolerability, subject satisfaction, and usability in a dermatology and/or medical aesthetic setting. RESULTS: Low-intensity shockwave therapy was shown to be effective in subjects with organic erectile dysfunction, and the treatment effect was maintained for up to 2 years post-treatment. The treatment is reported to be safe and well-tolerated and have little downtime. Many dermatologists use low-intensity shockwave therapy for the treatment of cellulite and other conditions. This type of treatment is now available for erectile dysfunction and seems an attractive and safe option for subjects with organic vascular erectile dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Studies and clinical experience suggest that male erectile rejuvenation using low-intensity radial shockwave therapy seems an attractive option. The treatment can be safely, and effectively, delivered by trained staff as part of the total package that is available to men in a dermatology and/or medical aesthetic practice.

Endovascular Therapy for Vasculogenic Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Arterial and Venous Therapies.

PURPOSE: To systematically review and perform a meta-analysis on the safety and efficacy of endovascular therapy in the treatment of the two most common etiologies of vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (ED): veno-occlusive dysfunction (VOD) and arterial insufficiency (AI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases were searched for published English literature regarding endovascular ED treatments. Case series (n ≥ 3) were included. Multiple data points were obtained, including demographic data, etiology, diagnosis method, imaging studies, treatment approach, technical success, clinical success, complications, and follow-up. RESULTS: Sixteen relevant articles were obtained and a total of 212 patients with VOD and 162 with AI were identified. The VOD cohort were treated either percutaneously (60.4%; n = 128) or after surgical exposure of the deep dorsal vein (33.5%, n = 71), or it was unspecified (6.1%; n = 13). The most common embolic used was n-butyl cyanoacrylate (51.9%; n = 109). Meta-analysis found an overall clinical success rate of 59.8% in VOD patients. Complications occurred in 5.2% of patients (n = 11), with 9 considered to be mild and 2 considered to be severe. The AI cohort contained 162 patients most commonly treated via stenting of the internal pudendal artery (40.1%; n = 65). Meta-analysis found an overall clinical success rate of 63.2% in AI patients. Complications occurred in 4.9% of patients (n = 8), with 4 considered to be mild and 4 considered to be severe. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular therapy for medically refractory ED is safe and may provide a treatment alternative to more invasive surgical management; however, conclusions are limited by the heterogeneity of clinical success definitions among the included studies.

Endovascular Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction-Who Benefits Most? Insights From a Single-Center Experience.

PURPOSE: To report the 1-year outcomes of a single-center, all-comers registry aimed to assess effectiveness and safety of endovascular revascularization for atherosclerotic erectile dysfunction (ED) in an unselected patient cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2016 and October 2017, 50 consecutive patients (mean age 59.6±10.3 years) underwent endovascular revascularization for ED owing to >50% stenosis in 82 erection-related arteries. Patients were treated by means of standard balloon angioplasty (16%), drug-coated balloon angioplasty (27%), or drug-eluting stent (55%) implantation. The primary feasibility outcome measure was the incidence of a minimum clinically relevant improvement of ≥4 in the 6-question International Index of Erectile Function Questionnaire (IIEF-6) score at 12 months. Clinical effectiveness was improvement in erectile function as quantified in the mean difference (MD) of the IIEF-15 score at 3 and 12 months as well as the mean changes in IIEF-15 questions 3 and 4. RESULTS: Procedure success was achieved in 49 (98%) of 50 patients. At 12 months, 30 (65%) of 46 patients achieved a minimum clinically relevant improvement in the IIEF-6 score. The overall IIEF-15 score, as well as scores for questions 3 and 4, improved in 32 (65%) of 49 patients, 28 (57%) of 49 patients, and 29 (60%) of 48 patients, respectively. Change in the overall IIEF-15 score at 12 months was consistent among subgroups, except for elderly patients [MD -5.0 (95% CI -9.7 to -0.2), p=0.041] and those with hypertension [MD -11.0 (95% CI -20.5 to -1.5), p=0.025], who showed less improvement. CONCLUSION: Endovascular revascularization was safe and efficacious in the majority of ED patients through 1 year.

Erectile dysfunction links to cardiovascular disease-defining the clinical value.

Despite many advances over the last few decades, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death globally, with men afflicted at an earlier age than women. In a bid to reduce the global burden of morbidity and mortality due to CVD, emphasis has been placed on prevention, particularly on widespread promotion of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and advancing strategies to identify and treat high-risk individuals who may benefit from aggressive preventive therapy. Erectile dysfunction is a highly prevalent condition that has been demonstrated to share the same risk factors as clinical CVD, and to have independent predictive value for future CVD events. Importantly, subclinical atherosclerosis appears to precede vascular ED by a decade or longer, with ED preceding clinical CVD such as myocardial infarction and stroke in temporal sequence by about 2-5 years. Crucially, since ED may represent the first presentation of otherwise "healthy" men to care providers, a clinical diagnosis of vascular ED may represent a unique opportunity to identify high risk individuals, intervene, and thus prevent progression to clinical CVD. This review summarizes up-to-date evidence of the relationship between ED and subclinical and clinical CVD, and details the position of current guidelines and clinical recommendations on the role of ED assessment in CVD prevention. Finally, this review proposes a clinical framework for the incorporation of ED into standard CVD risk assessment in middle-age men.

Early Recoil After Balloon Angioplasty of Erection-Related Arteries in Patients With Arteriogenic Erectile Dysfunction.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of elastic recoil in patients presenting with erectile dysfunction (ED) undergoing endovascular revascularization of the pudendal or penile arteries. METHODS: A consecutive series of 21 ED patients (mean age 58.3±9.3 years) undergoing minimally invasive revascularization of 31 arteries was analyzed. ED lesions included the pudendal arteries (n=27) and the penile artery (n=4). Mean lesion length was 20.6±13.9 mm. Minimal lumen diameter (MLD) measurements were assessed at baseline, immediately after balloon angioplasty, and 10 minutes thereafter. Early recoil was defined as an MLD reduction >10%. Elastic recoil with >10% lumen compromise was treated with drug-coated balloons, while severe elastic recoil (>30%) required drug-eluting stents (DES). The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) score was obtained prior to and 3 months after the procedure to obtain information on functional outcomes subsequent to angioplasty. RESULTS: Mean MLD at baseline was 0.9±0.6 mm, which improved to 2.0±0.9 mm immediately after balloon dilation. At 10 minutes after dilation, the MLD was 1.7±1.0 mm. Elastic recoil was observed in all 31 lesions and resulted in a mean lumen compromise of 21.2%. Severe (>30%) recoil was observed in 14 arteries, which underwent DES therapy. The IIEF-15 score improved from 31.3±11.2 at baseline to 49.8±16.8 (p<0.001) at the 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Endovascular revascularization constitutes a safe and feasible treatment modality to restore erectile function in patients with arteriogenic ED and ineffective conservative management. Early elastic recoil is very frequent subsequent to balloon dilation of small-caliber erection-related arteries. Thus, mechanical scaffolding with DES is required in a high subset of ED patients to provide favorable early angiographic and clinical results.

Comprehensive insight into functional interaction between GNB3 C825T and eNOS T-786C, G894T gene polymorphisms and association with susceptibility to diabetic erectile dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: No study has assessed the possible involvement of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) T-786C and G894T and G-protein ß3 subunit (GNB3) C825T polymorphisms with susceptibility to diabetic vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (VED) in North African subjects. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to evaluate the interaction and association between these gene polymorphisms and this disorder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 164 type 2 diabetes patients with VED diagnosed with penile color Doppler ultrasonography and 148 age-matched healthy volunteers were genotyped for the rs1799983 (G894T) and rs2070744 (T-786C) of the eNOS gene and the rs5443 (C825T) of the GNB3 gene using the PCR-RFLP method. RESULTS: A significant association of the eNOS G894T (p = 0.005) and T-786C (p = 0.02) with altered susceptibility to VED was observed. The risk also holds for the G894T and T-786C eNOS gene polymorphisms when excluding patients with dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases (p = 1.7·10-4 and p = 3.2·10-5 , respectively). The univariate odds ratio associated with CC alleles of the eNOS T-786C revealed a four times increased risk for VED (OR = 4.04; 95% CI = 1.53-10.67; p = 0.006). VED risk was also associated with the G894T variant under dominant model (p = 0.002) and the T-786C variant under recessive model (p = 0.004). Furthermore, the concomitant presence of the combined genotypes of the 894T and 786T strongly affected the predisposition to VED (p = 0.007). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our study gave a comprehensive insight into functional interaction between GNB3 and eNOS gene polymorphisms and suggests that the eNOS G894T and T-786C variants are strong predisposing factors of VED susceptibility within men with type 2 diabetes.

Serum Arginase II level can be a novel indicator for erectile dysfunction in patients with vasculogenic erectile dysfunction: a comparative study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to compare serum level of Arginase II in patients with vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (ED) versus healthy controls and to assess if its level is affected by severity of ED. METHODS: This is a prospective study that compared Arginase II in 40 patients with ED versus 40 healthy controls. Patients were excluded if they had any pelvic trauma or pelvic surgery, hormonal disorders, Peyronie's disease, smoking, drug addiction or systemic illnesses. ED was evaluated by the validated Arabic version of the abbreviated five-item form of the international index of erectile function (IIEF-5). Serum arginase II level was assayed using ELIZA. Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests and Spearman correlation were used as appropriate and confirmed by logistic regression model. RESULTS: 22 (55%) patients had DM. 15 (37.5%), 7 (17%), 6 (15%) and 12 (30%) patients suffered from severe, moderate, mild to moderate and mild ED, respectively. The level of serum Arginase II was significantly higher in patients than controls (p < 0.001) and confirmed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. It also correlated significantly with age (r2 = 0.22; p < 0.001) and IIEF-5 score (r2 = 0.8; p < 0.001). Serum Arginase II increased significantly with more severe ED (p < 0.001). Arginase II was also significantly higher in diabetic patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Serum level of Arginase II is significantly higher in patients with vasculogenic ED compared to healthy controls. It correlates significantly with age and IIEF-5 and was significantly affected by the severity of ED.

Sexual Function Is an Indicator of Central Arterial Stiffness and Arterial Stiffness Gradient in Japanese Adult Men.

BACKGROUND: As arterial stiffness increases in the absence of subjective symptoms, a personal indicator that reflects increased risk of cardiovascular disease is necessary. Penile erection is regulated by vascular function, and atherosclerosis affects the penile artery earlier than it affects the coronary and carotid arteries. Therefore, we hypothesized that deterioration of erectile function could be a marker of increased risk for cardiovascular disease. To test our hypothesis, we assessed erectile function and arterial stiffness in a cross-sectional study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), brachial-ankle PWV, femoral-ankle PWV, and arterial stiffness gradient (PWV ratio: carotid-femoral PWV/femoral-ankle PWV) were measured as indexes of central, systemic, and peripheral arterial stiffness and peripheral organ damage, respectively, in 317 adult men. In addition, erectile function was assessed by using the questionnaire International Index of Erectile Function 5 (a descending score indicates worsening of erectile function). The scores of male sexual function were inversely correlated with carotid-femoral PWV (rs=-0.41), brachial-ankle PWV (rs=-0.35), femoral-ankle PWV (rs=-0.19), and PWV ratio (rs=-0.33). Furthermore, multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that International Index of Erectile Function 5 scores were significantly associated with carotid-femoral PWV (ß=-0.22) and PWV ratio (ß=-0.25), but not with brachial-ankle PWV and femoral-ankle PWV. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that erectile function is independently associated with central arterial stiffness and peripheral organ damage. These findings suggest that male sexual function could be an easily identifiable and independent marker of increased central arterial stiffness and peripheral organ damage.

Role of disturbed fatty acids metabolism in the pathophysiology of diabetic erectile dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (VED) is considered as a common complication among people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We tested whether changes in fatty acid (FAs) classes measured in erythrocytes are associated with increased risk of diabetic VED along with related risk factors. METHODS: We assessed erythrocyte FAs composition, lipid peroxidation parameters and inflammatory cytokines among 72 T2D men with VED, 78 T2D men without VED and 88 healthy volunteers with similar age. Biochemical, hepatic, lipid and hormonal profiles were measured. RESULTS: T2D people with VED had significant decrease in the indexes of Δ6-desaturase and elongase activities compared to the other studied groups. The same group of participants displayed lower erythrocytes levels of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (C20:3n-6) (P < .001), precursor of the messenger molecule PGE1 mainly involved in promoting erection. Moreover, absolute SFAs concentration and HOMA IR levels were higher in T2D people with VED when compared to controls and associated with impaired NO concentration (1.43 vs 3.30 ng/L, P < .001). Our results showed that IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased and positively correlated with MDA levels only in T2D people with VED (r = 0.884, P = .016 and r = 0.753, P = .035; respectively) suggesting a decrease in the relative availability of vasodilator mediators and an activation of vasoconstrictors release. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that the deranged FAs metabolism represents a potential marker of VED in progress, or at least an indicator of increased risk within men with T2D.

Analysis of Accessory Pudendal Artery Transection on Erections During Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: To compare the recovery of erections and potency following the transection of accessory pudendal arteries (APAs) in men undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) compared with men with normal vascular anatomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 880 consecutive patients who underwent RARP from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2014 were included with prospectively collected data in cross-sectional analysis. Erectile function (EF) was assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-5, a percent erection fullness compared to preoperative status, and two Expanded Prostate Cancer Index (EPIC) questions: (1) are erections firm enough for penetration and (2) are they satisfactory? RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-one (33.1%) men had APAs transected. There were no significant differences in baseline demographics or clinical characteristics in men with or without APAs transected. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that age (confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.94, 0.99) and baseline IIEF-5 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.26) strongly correlated with recovery of erections and potency. Transection of APAs was not a significant predictor of erectile dysfunction (ED). CONCLUSION: Good surgical technique dictates the preservation of APAs. However, when preservation is questioned, we found that APA transection had no measurable effect on recovery of erections or potency regardless of age, preoperative ED, or number of APAs transected.