Abstract
We studied the effects of sildenafil on nocturnal penile erections. We prospectively evaluated 36 patients with organic or psychogenic impotence and 5 normal, potent men. All patients completed 3 sessions of consecutive nights using the RigiScan Plus device. The first two nights the patients were asked to take placebo before the session and to take 50 mg of sildenafil before the third session. In the organic impotence group the use of sildenafil induced a significant improvement in time of rigidity 60–100%, rigidity and tumescence activity unit values and rigidity and tumescence activity unit values per hour in the tip and base. In the psychogenic impotence group it caused significant improvement only in rigidity activity unit per hour in the tip. In the potent men, changes were statistically insignificant. Sildenafil improves nocturnal penile erectile activity in organic impotence. Our study shows that phosphodiesterase inhibitors can improve penile erections not induced by sexual stimulation.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 8 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $32.38 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burnett AL. . Nitric oxide in the penis: physiology and pathology. J Urol 1997 157, 320–324.
Boolell M, Geppi-Attee S, Gingell JC, Allen MJ. . Sildenafil, a novel effective oral therapy for male erectile dysfunction. Br J Urol 1996 78, 257–261.
Goldstein I et al.Oral sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. New Engl J Med 1998 338, 1397–1404.
Lizza EF, Rosen RC. . Definition and classification of erectile dysfunction: report of the Nomenclature Committee of the International Society of Impotence Research. Int J Impot Res 1999 11, 141–143.
Levalle O, Nagelberg A, Terradas C, Mormandi E. . Bioavailable testosterone is a better predictor than total testosterone of androgenic deficiency in erectile dysfunction. Int J Androl 1997 20(Suppl 1), 68.
Hatzichristou DG et al.Nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity monitoring in young potent volunteers: reproducibility, evaluation criteria and the effect of sexual intercourse. J Urol 1998 159, 1921–1926.
Karacan I, Williams RL, Thornby JI. . Sleep related tumescence as a function of age. Am J Psychiatry 1975 132, 932–937.
Roose SP, Glassman AH, Walsh BT. . Reversible loss of nocturnal penile tumescence during depression: a preliminary report. Neuropsychobiology 1982 8, 284–288.
Lue TL. . Physiology of erection and patophysiology of impotence. In: Walsh PC, Retik AB, Stamey TA, Vaughan ED, Jr. Campbell's urology, 6th edn. WB Saunders Company: Philadelphia 1992 709–728.
Levine LA, Carroll RA. . Nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity in men without complaints of erectile dysfunction using a new quantitative analysis software. J Urol 1994 152, 1103–1107.
Karacan I, Hursch CJ, Williams RL. . Some characteristics of nocturnal penile tumescence in elderly males. J Gerontol 1972 27, 39–42.
Boolell M, Allen MJ, Ballard SA. . Sildenafil: an orally active type 5 cyclic GMP-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor for the treatment of penile erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 1996 8, 47–52.
Nehra A et al.Mechanisms of venous leakage: a prospective clinicopathological correlation of corporal functional structure. J Urol 1996 156, 1320–1329.
Moreland RB et al.PGE1 suppresses the induction of callogen synthesis by transforming growth factor-b1 in human corpus cavernosum smooth muscle. J Urol 1995 153, 826–834.
Nehra A et al.Transforming growth factor-β1 is sufficient to induce fibrosis of rabbit corpus cavernosum in vivo. J Urol 1999 162, 910–915.
Moreland RB et al.Oxygen tension modulates transforming growth factor-b1 expression and PGE production in human corpus cavenosum smooth muscle cells. Mol Urol 1998 2, 41–47.
Karacan I, Karates M. . Erectile dysfunction in sleep apnea and response to CPAAP. J Sex Marital Ther 1995 21, 239–247.
Heaton JPW. . Editorial comment. Int J Impot Res 1998 10, 151.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Terradas, C., Levalle, O., Nagelberg, A. et al. Sildenafil improves nocturnal penile erections in organic impotence. Int J Impot Res 13, 125–129 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900656
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900656
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Treating erectile dysfunction by endothelial rehabilitation with phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors
World Journal of Urology (2005)
-
Curing erectile dysfunction: Pro
Current Sexual Health Reports (2005)
-
Sildenafil citrate significantly improves nocturnal penile erections in sildenafil non-responding patients with psychogenic erectile dysfunction
International Journal of Impotence Research (2004)
-
Effect of sildenafil on nocturnal erections of potent men
International Journal of Impotence Research (2003)