Effect of androgen on penile erection induced by L-arginine in paraventricular nucleus.
- Author:
Xin-Hong WU
1
;
Li-Quan HU
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Animals; Arginine; pharmacology; Male; Nitric Oxide; physiology; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus; drug effects; physiology; Penile Erection; drug effects; Pressure; Rabbits; Testosterone; blood; pharmacology
- From: National Journal of Andrology 2002;8(4):270-272
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVESTo investigate the relationship between penile erection induced by L-arginine in paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and androgen.
METHODSTwenty-four mature male rabbits were randomly divided into three groups which were castrate, castrate with testosterone propionate (T) replacement and pseudo-operation. One month later, the highest intracavernous pressure (ICP) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) of each PVN tissue were measured after infusing L-arginine into the PVN.
RESULTSThe mean ICPs of the highest values in castrate, castrate given T replacement and pseudo-operation groups were (22.640 +/- 4.747) mmHg, (38.146 +/- 4.907) mmHg and (39.991 +/- 3.068) mmHg, respectively. The mean value of NOS activity of each group were (0.807 +/- 0.188) U/mg.prot, (1.457 +/- 0.293) U/mg.prot and (1.528 +/- 0.204) U/mg.prot, respectively. The ICP and NOS activity in castrate were different statistically from T replacement and pseudo-operation group (both P < 0.01). T replacement group had no statistical difference from pseudo-operation group(P > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONSNitric oxide (NO) is one of the neurotransmitters in PVN particularly relevant for the control of penile erection. Penile erection induced by L-arginine in PVN depends on androgen.
