Peyronie's disease:a silent consequence of diabetes mellitus

Aim:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with Peyronie's disease(PD)and diabetes mellitus(DM).Methods:During an 8-year period,a total of 307 men seen at our outpatient clinic were diagnosed with PD.Clinicalcharacteristics,penile deformities and the erectile status of patients with PD and DM together(n=102)were retro-spectively analyzed and compared to patients with PD alone with no risk factors for systemic vascular diseases(n=97).Results:The prevalence of PD among men with DM and sexual dysfunction was 10.7%.The mean ageof diabetic patients with PD was(55.9±8.9)years;in the no risk factor group it was(48.5±9.0)years(P<0.05).The median duration of DM was 5 years.The majority of diabetic patients with PD(56.0%)presented in the chronicphase(P<0.05),and they were more likely to have a severe penile deformity(>60°)than the no risk factor group(P<0.05).In the diabetic group,the most common presenting symptom was penile curvature(81.4 %),followedby a palpable nodule on the shaft of the penis(22.5%)and penile pain with erection(14.7 %).A total of 19.6 % ofpatients were not aware of their penile deformities in the diabetic group.Erectile function,provided by history and inresponse to intracavernosal injection and a stimulation test,was significantly diminished in patients with PD and DM(P<0.05).Conclusion:DM probably exaggerates the fibrotic process in PD.Diabetic patients with PD have ahigher risk of severe deformity and erectile dysfunction(ED).PD seems to be a silent consequence of DM andshould be actively sought in diabetic men.(Asian J Androl 2006 Jan;8:75-79)     

Effects of castration and testosterone replacement on veno-occlusion during penile erection in the rat

Aim: To determine if androgens directly regulate veno-occlusion or if androgens act indirectly to maintain the penile strutures which control outflow. Methods: Using CASTRATE and TESTO rots, measurement was made of mean arterial pressure (MAP), intracavemosal pressure (CCP), and intracavemosal flow (CCF) during erection resulting from stimulation of the autonomic innervation of the penis. CCP and CCF were also measured during saline infusion into the cavemosal sinuses before and after treatment with sodium nitropmsside (SNP, a nitric oxide donor drug) to fully relax cavemosal smooth muscle. Penile tissue was also collected to measure the content of a actin and proliue and hydroxyproline to determine if brief withdrawal of androgenic support led to changes in the number of smooth muscle cells or the collagen content of the tissue. Resttlts: Infusion of saline into the cavemosal sinuses demonstrated that veno-occlusion was defective in CASTRATE rats while veno-occlusion was fully functional in TESTO animals.Funtmmore, veno-occlusion could be induced in CASTRATE rats if they were first neared with SNP. This observation suggests that failure of veno-occlusion in the CASTRATE rats is due to a deficiency in the production of NO resulting in a reduction in the degree of relaxation of the penile smooth muscle. The measurements of smooth muscle a a ctin and proline and hydroxyproline content of collagen showed that both were unaffected by castration and that the basic structure of the penis did not degenerate after one week without androgenic support. Conclusion: Thesere sults can be inteipreted to mean that androgens control the veno-occlusive mechanism indirectly via a NO dependent mechanism and not by maintaining the structures of the penis which are essential to veno-ocelusion. ( Asian J Androl 1999 Jun; 1: 53-59)     

The reproductive toxicity of cadmium chloride in male mice

Objective: To study the reproductive toxicity of cadmium chloride in male mice. Methods: Male mice of 4 weeks old were administered cadium chloride at doses of 0.5, 2 or 8 mg·kg-1·day-1 i.p. for 10 days. At day 50, the males were mated with virgin females at 1: 2. The pregnancy rate, the litter size and the body weight of the offspring were recorded; at the same time the development of the testis, the testicular index, the germ cell miosis and the epididymal sperm count, motility and malformed sperm were observed in the intoxicated males. Results: The testicular index was lower in the 2 and 8 mg/kg groups than in the controls and 0.5 mg/kg groups (P< 0.05). In the 2 and 8 mg/kg groups, there were testicular maldeve-lopment, epididymal azoospermia and infertility. The pregnancy rate was lower in the 2 mg/kg group than in the control and 0.5 mg/ kg group (P<0.05). The ectopic pregnancy rate of the cadmium chloride group was not significantly different from that of the controls. The sperm count, motility     

Effect of androgen deprivation on penile ultrastructure

Aim: To investigate the ultrastructural changes of penile corpus cavernosum and tunica albuginea in rats treated with castration or finasteride. Methods: Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley rats of nine weeks old were randomly divided into three groups with 6 rats each. Group A served as the control, Group B was castrated and Group C, treated with finasteride. Four weeks later, rats were anesthetized and blood samples obtained for the determination of serum testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels; penile tissues were taken for scanning electron microscopy. Results: The T, free T and DHT levels in Group B and the DHT level in Group C were significantly lower than those in Group A (P<0.05). The tunica albuginea was significantly thinner in Group B than that in Group A (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between Group C and Group A (P>0.05). Elastic fibers in the tunica albuginea of Group A were very rich and arranged regularly and undulatedly, but in Group B, most of the elastic fibers     

The effects of androgen on penile reflex, erectile response to electrical stimulation and penile NOS activity in the rat

Aim: To investigate the effects of androgen on penile erection through the reflex arc and penile corpus cavernosum,and study the respective roles of testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in penile erection ira rats. Methods:Male Sprague-Dawley rats were castrated and implanted with silastic brand silicone tube containing T or DHT, with orwithout daily injections of a 5a-reductase inhibitor, MKM-434. The penile reflex, erectile response to electrical stimula-tion (ES) of the cavernous nerves and penile nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) activity were observed under varying andro-genic status. Results: Penile reflex erection in the rat was, on the whole, related to serum T levels though the numberof glans engorgernents was not. The number of cups and flips was significantly decreased by castration, and restoredto the control level by T supplementation. Erectile response to ES and NOS activity in penile tissue was also related toserum T level. T administered together with a ,5a-reductase inhibitor no longer restored the number of reflex erection,erectile responses to ES and NOS activity in the corpus cavemosum. Conclusion: Androgen influenced the penile re-flex arc, corpus cavemosum, and the perinea] striated muscles, ha reflex erection, erectile response to ES and penileNOS activity in the rat, T seeras to be first conyerted to DHT, the more active androgen modality. (Asian JAndrol1999Dec; 1: 169-174)     

Ultrastructural changes of penile tunica albuginea in diabetic rats

Aim: To clarify the ultrastructural changes of penile tunica albuginea (TA) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Intraperitoneal injection of STZ was used to induce diabetes mellitus (DM) in 12 Sprague Dawley rats. Ten rats (age and weight-matched) were used as control. Blood samples from the tail snips of the rats were used for the determination of serum glucose levels with SureStep Plus Blood Meter. At week 4 and 10 after the injection, half of the rats in each group were sacrificed and penile samples were obtained from the middle third of the penile shaft for the examination of TA under scanning electron microscopy. Results: In the diabetic group, the serum glucose levels were higher (P<0.01 at both time points) and the TA were thinner (P<0.05) than those of the controls. In the control group, the fibers of TA were rich and arranged regularly and undulated, while in the diabetic group, the fibers were diminished, lost the undulations and were arranged irregularly. Conclusion: In rat     

Sperm function tests after vasovasostomy

Aim: To evaluate the sperm function after vasovasostomy. Methods: Semen samples from 42 subjects after vasovasostomy (Group A: 1 -6 months, Group B: 6 - 12 months; Group C: 12 - 18 months after vasectomy reversal) were investigated. Semen from 34 normal fertile men was used as controls. Sperm function tests, including hyposmotic swelling test (HOST), acridine orange (AO) fluorescence, acrosome reaction (triple-stain), cervical mucus penetration test (CMPT), etc were done. Results: After vasectomy reversal, the percentage of HOST was significantly lower than that of the normal fertile men. In regard to AO, there were no significant differences between the three vasovasostomy groups and between these 3 groups and the controls. With triple-stain, the percentage of normal acrosome reaction was significantly lower in Group A as compared with the controls, but not in Groups B and C. There were no significant differences in the results of CMPT between the vasovasostomy groups and the controls. However, the number of “poor“ type was significantly higher in Groups A and C than in the controls; the percentage of “negafive“ type were higher in Groups A and B than in the controls. Conclusion: After vasovasostomy a lower level of HOST remained for one year and gradually recovered after one year. Six months after vasectomy reversal, the percentage of acrosome reaction could be changed from lower level to normal range. The data of AO indicated that the genetic material (double-stranded DNA) in spermatozoa was not affected by vasovasostomy. To evaluate the result of CMPT after vasectomy reversal, not only the normal results but also the abnormal results (“poor“ and “negative“ types) should also be considered.     

Potentiation of apomorphine effect on sildenafil-induced penile erection in conscious rabbits

Aim: To investigate a possible potentiation effect of apomorphine (APO) on sildenafil-induced penile erection in the conscious rabbit. Methods: Erection of male New Zealand White rabbits (3.5 - 4.0 kg, n=12) was assessed by measuring the length of the uncovered penile mucosa and the duration of erection before and after intravenous administration of agents. After injection of APO (0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.4 mg/kg), sildenafil was administered intravenously in a dose-response manner (0.5, 1 and 5 mg/kg). In additional experiments, the effect of increasing doses of sildenafil in combination with APO on systemic blood pressure was evaluated. Results: Systemic administration of sildenafil induced a dose-dependent increase in the penile length. Intravenous injection of APO alone did not produce any change in the penile length, while significantly enhanced the penile erection induced by sildenafil. The co-administration of 0.1 mg/kg of APO and 1 mg/kg of sildenafil was found to be the most effective combination in producing penile erection. Intravenous administration of sildenafil caused a concentration-dependent decrease in systemic blood pressure, but no additional decrease was observed with co-administration of APO. Conclusion: APO enhances the penile erection induced by sildenafil in the conscious rabbit without causing an additional decrease in blood pressure. (Asian J Androl 2004 Sep; 6: 205-209)     

改进型左侧精索静脉曲张对大鼠睾丸酶及增殖细胞核抗原的影响

Objective To evaluate the effects of improved left varicocele (ELV) on testis enzymes and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in rats. Methods ELV models of SD rats were established by the improved method in 21 SD rats, and another 15 were included in a sham operation group as controls. At the 3rd month, the activity of LDH, SDH and G6PDH was measured by colorimetry. The concentration of the PCNA was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA). Results The activity of LDH and G6PDH (8. 17 ± 3. 47), (34. 00 ± 16. 29) U/mg in left testes of experimental group was reduced remarkably as compared with that in right testes (12.69 ±3.97), (78.03 ± 25. 28) U/mg and control group (11. 98 ± 2. 26) , (54. 88 ± 20. 87) U/mg (P < 0. 05). The activity of SDH was reducd remarkably in left testes of experimental group ( 1. 22 ±0. 41 ) U/mg as compared with that in control group (1.74 ± 0.43) U/mg (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the left and right testes ( 1.62 ±0. 56) U/mg in experimental group. The concentration of PCNA was reduced in left testes of experimental group (669. 10 ±205. 39) mU/ml as compared with that in right testes (800. 81 ± 172. 02) mU/ml and control group (776. 81 ± 231. 72) mU/ml, but there was no significant difference (P > 0. 05). Conclusion The reduction of LDH, SDH and G6PDH and the changes of PCNA in improved ELV may play an important role in the development of subfertility.     

改进型左侧精索静脉曲张对大鼠睾丸酶及增殖细胞核抗原的影响

Objective To evaluate the effects of improved left varicocele (ELV) on testis enzymes and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in rats. Methods ELV models of SD rats were established by the improved method in 21 SD rats, and another 15 were included in a sham operation group as controls. At the 3rd month, the activity of LDH, SDH and G6PDH was measured by colorimetry. The concentration of the PCNA was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA). Results The activity of LDH and G6PDH (8. 17 ± 3. 47), (34. 00 ± 16. 29) U/mg in left testes of experimental group was reduced remarkably as compared with that in right testes (12.69 ±3.97), (78.03 ± 25. 28) U/mg and control group (11. 98 ± 2. 26) , (54. 88 ± 20. 87) U/mg (P < 0. 05). The activity of SDH was reducd remarkably in left testes of experimental group ( 1. 22 ±0. 41 ) U/mg as compared with that in control group (1.74 ± 0.43) U/mg (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the left and right testes ( 1.62 ±0. 56) U/mg in experimental group. The concentration of PCNA was reduced in left testes of experimental group (669. 10 ±205. 39) mU/ml as compared with that in right testes (800. 81 ± 172. 02) mU/ml and control group (776. 81 ± 231. 72) mU/ml, but there was no significant difference (P > 0. 05). Conclusion The reduction of LDH, SDH and G6PDH and the changes of PCNA in improved ELV may play an important role in the development of subfertility.     

Comparison of Alprostadil (Caverject) and a combination of vasoactive drugs as local injections for the treatment of erectile dysfunction

The efficiency and side effects of a single dose of 20 mcg of intracorporeally applied Alprostadil (Caverject, Upjohn), a prostaglandin E1, in inducing penile erection were examined in 30 patients. In addition, the effect of this dose of prostaglandin E1 was compared to that of 30 mg of papaverine plus 0.5 mg of regitine (phentolamine). All patients received a first injection of the combination of the vasoactive drugs and a second injection of the prescribed dose of Caverject. The degree of erection, time interval between injections and achievement of full erection as well as side effects during and after injection were compared. All patients had a burning sensation during the inejction of Caverject. Two patients given the vasoactive combination got priapism and were evacuated; this complication was not reported for Caverject. In the doses used Caverject was superior to papaverine plus phentolamine in inducing penile erection and in achieving a higher grade of erection.     

硝普钠阴茎海绵体内注射治疗阳萎的临床研究

本研究选择４２例阳萎患者，采用硝普钠进行阴茎海绵体注射（ＩＣＩ），并选择罂粟碱／酚妥拉明进行对照，结果表明，硝普钠ＩＣＩ后：（１）阴茎外形性状（长度、周径等）明显改变。（２）Ｖｉｒａｇ硬度计点表明硝普钠与罂粟碱／酚妥拉明效果之间无明显差别。（３）所有测试患者无一例出现低血压或局部不适等副反应，与罂粟碱／酚妥拉明相比各有优劣，但总体差异不大，这充分表明，硝普钠作为一种ＮＯ供体可导致阴茎平滑肌松弛，血窦充盈阴茎勃起，其副反应较小，有其临床应用之价值。     

The intracavernous application of alpha-adrenergic drugs in the treatment of priapism

Summary The possibilities and limitations of using an alpha-adrenergic injection for treating priapism or prolonged erection are discussed. In 8 of 10 cases presented, the priapism or prolonged erection was induced by application of papaverine or a papaverine phentolamine mixture. In the one case in which priapism was caused by infiltration of a tumor, intracavernous injection was not chosen as the primary mode of treatment. The priapisms or prolonged erections which were induced by application of vasodilator drugs in the cavernous bodies were treated by metaraminol injections. No side effects involving the patients' circulatory system appeared, but 3 patients developed a penile hematoma. This method also proved ineffective in the treatment of a priapism found in conjunction with Fabry's disease. In this case there was clear evidence of severe ischemic damage to the tissue of the cavernous bodies following extended duration of priapism. Treatment was carried out under strict supervision of the patient's circulatory system, during which no side effects were observed.     

无创性动态阴茎海绵体测压初探

目的 :初步评价VISER软件进行无创性动态阴茎海绵体测压在ED诊断中的应用。　方法 :采用AquariusXLT型尿流动力学仪配置的VISER软件 ,辅助眼镜式影像仪听觉视觉性刺激 (AVSS)或阴茎海绵体内血管活性药物注射 (ICI)进行无创性动态海绵体测压 68例 ,其中ED病人 4 8例 ,正常对照 2 0例。　结果 :正常对照 2 0例均可通过AVSS诱发勃起 ;4 8例ED病人中 ,18例单纯通过AVSS可诱发勃起 ,占 3 7.5 % ;3 0例单纯AVSS无效者 ,给予罂粟碱 10mg海绵体内注射 ,其中 19例出现勃起 ,占 63 .3 %。VISER检查结果表明 ,除受ICI影响 ,ED罂粟碱组的勃起平均时间延长外 ,勃起数据和峰值数据中的其他多项指标ED各组均低于对照组 ,尤其表现为勃起和峰值总能量降低。　结论 :VISER具有精确的动态阴茎海绵体测压功能 ;辅助眼镜式影像仪有助于增强AVSS的效果和减少阴茎海绵体ICI剂量 ;由于VISER检查具有无创、准确、便捷等优点 ,有望成为今后ED诊断的首选方法。     

Clinical and sonographic assessment of the side effects of intracavernous injection of vasoactive substances

The objective of this study is to evaluate the side effects of intracavernous vasoactive agents on clinical and sonographic basis. Two groups of patients were included, group I included 168 ED patients trained on self-injection therapy using one of the three protocols. Protocol A: papaverine; protocol B: PGE1; and protocol C: trimix (papaverine, phentolamine and PGE1). Patients were followed up clinically, sonographically and by laboratory investigations for 6 months to evaluate the occurrence of side effects. Group II included 21 patients presenting to our department for the first time with a complication of intracavernous injection pharmacotherapy (ICI) initiated elsewhere. In all, 168 patients of group I completed the study. Patients on papaverine had the highest incidence of complications concerning prolonged erection, subcutaneous hematoma and penile fibrosis. Postinjection penile pain was observed more with groups B and C than group A. No systemic side effects were reported. Duplex ultrasound was beneficial in detecting mild clinically impalpable fibrosis. In total, 10 patients of group II presented with prolonged erection, seven with penile fibrosis, three with cavernositis and one with intracavernous needle breakage. We conclude that although ICI therapy is an effective second-line treatment option, patients on a self-injection program should be followed up both clinically and sonographically both at the initiation phase and on regular follow-up visits.     

Value of prostaglandin El in the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction in comparison with papaverine and papaverine/phentolamine in 61 patients with erectile dysfunction

In 61 patients with erectile dysfunction a comparative study with intracavernous injection of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), papaverine and a mixture of papaverine and phentolamine was performed. All patients underwent comprehensive multidisciplinary examinations, including bulbocavernosus reflex (BCR) latencies and somatosensory evoked potentials, penile Doppler sonography, dynamic or pharmaco-cavernosonography, and for 11 patients nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) was also recorded with the Rigiscan. This diagnostic approach suggested that in 24 (39.3%) of the 61 pts the etiology was psychogenic and in the remaining 37 (60.7%) it was organogenic. PGE1 had a much higher erectile potency than papaverine and a somewhat higher potency than the mixture of papaverine and phentolamine. Complete erection was achieved in 41 of the 61 patients (67.2%) with PGE1, as against 20 of the 61 patients (32.8%) with papaverine alone and 20 of the 61 (32.8%) with papaverine/phentolamine. Whereas 7 of 61 patients (11.5%) had priapism of more than 6 h duration and requiring therapy after injection of papaverine or papaverine/phentolamine, no priapism occurred after PGE1. Thus, compared with papaverine and phentolamine, PGE1 offers important advantages in the diagnosis and perhaps also in the therapy of erectile dysfunction.     

无创性动态阴茎海绵体测压的临床应用

目的　初步评价应用VISER软件行无创性动态阴茎海绵体测压在阳萎 (ED)诊断中的作用。　方法　采用AquariusXLT型尿动力学仪配置的VISER软件 ,辅助眼镜式影像仪听觉视觉性刺激 (AVSS)或阴茎海绵体内血管活性药物注射 (ICI)进行无创性动态海绵体测压 39例 ,其中ED患者 32例 ,正常对照 7例。　结果　正常对照 7例均可通过AVSS诱发勃起 ;32例ED患者中 ,13例单纯AVSS可诱发勃起 ,占 4 0 % ;19例单纯AVSS无效者 ,给予罂粟碱 10mg海绵体内注射 ,其中 13例出现勃起 ,占 6 8%。结果除ED罂粟碱组勃起平均时间延长外 ,勃起数据和峰值数据中的其他多项指标ED各组均低于对照组 ,尤以勃起和峰值总能量降低明显。　结论　VISER具有精确的动态阴茎海绵体测压功能 ;辅助眼镜式影像仪有助于增强AVSS效果和减少阴茎海绵体血管活性药物注射剂量 ;VISER检查具有无创、准确、便捷等优点 ,有望成为ED诊断的首选方法     

两组药物海绵体内注射治疗勃起功能障碍效果比较

目的 :为临床勃起功能障碍 (ED)治疗时海绵体内注射 (ICI)选药提供临床资料。　方法 :5 6例ED病人 ,随机分 2组 ,每组 2 8例。第 1组用酚妥拉明 2～ 10mg +罂粟碱 10～ 3 0mg ,第 2组用酚妥拉明 2～ 5mg +罂粟碱 10～15mg +川芎嗪 40mg注射液治疗。 　结果 :第 2组勃起时间、勃起硬度足以完成性交例数均优于第 1组 (P <0 .0 5 )。　结论 :ICI合用川芎嗪可延长勃起时间 ,增强勃起硬度 ,减少海绵体内结节发生 ,为一种低价安全的ICI用药     

Prostaglandin E1 in erectile dysfunction

Of 447 presenting with erectile dysfunction, 322 (72%) responded to intracavernous injection of PGE1 with erections that were adequate for sexual intercourse. A multidisciplinary comparative study of PGE1 and other vasoactive drugs, e.g., papaverine or the combination of papaverine and phentolamine, was performed in 249 patients. Whereas 180 of the 249 patients (72.3%) showed adequate erections after 10 or 20 micrograms PGE1, only 79 of them (31.3%) did so after papaverine. A further 72 of the 249 patients (29%) had adequate erections after papaverine/phentolamine; thus, a total of 151 of 249 patients (60.3%) developed good erections after papaverine/phentolamine. Whereas after PGE1 no patients at all suffered from priapism lasting more than 6 h, this occurred in 13 of 249 patients (5.2%) after papaverine or papaverine/phentolamine. After intracavernous injection of PGE1, 9.4% of the patients complained of uncomfortable penile sensations during erection interfering with sexual intercourse. Since the initial study, 60 patients have been instructed in self-injection therapy and a further 45 patients obtain intracavernous PGE1 injections periodically, with very promising results. In vitro studies of cavernosal tissue samples obtained from potent men with penile deviations showed both the excellent relaxation of the smooth muscles of cavernous bodies by PGE1 and the antiadrenergic effect of the drug.     

Feline penile erection induced by transurethral administration of sodium nitroprusside

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important mediator in the relaxation of cavernosal smooth muscle. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo feline erectile response after transurethral administration of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor drug. Erectile responses after administration of transurethral SNP were compared with those elicited by an intracavernosal control triple-drug combination (1.65 mg papaverine, 25 μg phentolamine, and 0.5 μg prostaglandin E₁). SNP was administered via a 20-gauge Jelco intravenous catheter in a volume of 200 μl and changes in intracavernosal pressure, penile length, and systemic blood pressure were monitored. The control triple-drug combination was administered via a 30-gauge needle at the end of each experiment to serve as a control reference. Transurethral administration of SNP (1–4 mg) induced penile erection in a dose-dependent manner with minimal changes in systemic blood pressure. The maximum increase in intracavernosal pressure and penile length after transurethral administration of SNP (4 mg) was significantly less than after the intracavernosal injection of the control triple-drug combination (P < 0.01). These data suggest that transurethral administration of SNP can induce an erectile response in cats with minimal side effects. Received: 17 December 1998 / Accepted: 14 April 1999