BACKGROUNDSexual health positively correlates with overall wellbeing. Existing therapeutics to enhance male sexual health are limited by factors that include responsiveness, adherence and adverse effects. As the population ages, safe and effective interventions that preserve male sexual function are needed. Published research suggests that various preparations of Kaempferia parviflora, a plant in the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family, support cardiovascular health and may ameliorate erectile function.

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to examine the effects of KaempMax™, an ethanol extract of the K. parviflora rhizome, on erectile function in healthy middle-aged and older men.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONSWe conducted an open-label, one-arm study on 14 generally healthy males aged 50-68 years with self-reported mild erectile dysfunction, who were not using prescription treatments. Participants took 100 mg KaempMax™ daily for 30 days.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESEvaluations were conducted at baseline and on the final study assessment. Primary efficacy analyses included the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF); secondary efficacy analyses included the Global Assessment Question about erectile function.

RESULTSThirteen participants completed the 30-day study. Supplementation with KaempMax™ resulted in statistically significant improvements in erectile function, intercourse satisfaction and total scores on the IIEF questionnaire. KaempMax™ was well tolerated and exhibited an excellent safety profile.

CONCLUSIONOur results suggest that KaempMax™ may improve erectile function in healthy middle-aged and older men. While the effects were not as pronounced as what might be seen with prescription medication, most participants found them satisfactory. Additional, longer and placebo-controlled clinical trials will be needed.

TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03389867.

Aged ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Penile Erection ; drug effects ; Pilot Projects ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; Sexual Behavior ; drug effects ; Sexual Health ; Treatment Outcome ; Zingiberaceae ; chemistry

AIMTo investigate the reasons for discontinuations of sildenafil after the successful restoration of erectile function.

METHODSOne hundred fifty six patients, whose scores of erectile function domain of the 15-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) increased to 26 or more after sildenafil medication, were included in this study. Six-months after the first sildenafil prescription, compliance to medication and the reason for discontinuity were reviewed by chart or surveyed by telephone.

RESULTSFifty-four (34.6 %) of the 156 successfully treated patients discontinued sildenafil medication. The reasons for discontinuance were shortcomings in the partners' or patients' emotional readiness for the restoration of sexual life after long-term abstinence (37.0 %), fear of possible side effects (18.5 %), recovery of spontaneous erection (14.8 %), postponement of ED treatment because of co-morbid disease treatment (11.1 %), unwillingness to accept drug-dependent erection (7.4 %), high drug cost (3.7 %), unacceptability of planned sexual activity (3.7 %) and lack of sexual interest (3.7 %).

CONCLUSIONThe reasons for discontinuing sildenafil medication were primarily emotional or relationship-oriented, which indicates that simple recovery of a rigid erection is insufficient to restore sexual activity. More education about the effects of drug and the counseling of both partners is recommended to promote the successful recovery of sexual activity.

Adult ; Aged ; Data Collection ; Drug Costs ; Erectile Dysfunction ; complications ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Patient Compliance ; Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors ; adverse effects ; economics ; therapeutic use ; Piperazines ; adverse effects ; economics ; therapeutic use ; Purines ; Sexual Behavior ; Sildenafil Citrate ; Sulfones ; Telephone

AIMTo investigate the influence of an extract obtained from five Chinese medicinal plants on sexual behavior of adult male rats.

METHODSThe extract was administered at doses of 30, 60 and 120 mg/kg by oral gavage, acutely (one time, 45 min before mating test) or subchronically (daily for 10 days) in sexually potent and sexually sluggish/impotent rats. Sexual behavior, serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T) were evaluated in treated rats and compared with controls receiving vehicle. The effect of the extract on central dopaminergic neurotransmission was assessed in the nucleus accumbens using a microdialysis technique.

RESULTSIn sexually potent rats, both acute and subchronic treatment with the extract dosed at 30 and 60 mg/kg reduced mount latency and intromission latency. In sluggish/impotent rats, the acutely administered extract at the dose of 60 mg/kg shortened ejaculation latency, whereas subchronically administered at the doses of 30 and 60 mg/kg, reduced mount, intromission and ejaculation latencies, increasing also the percentage of mounting and ejaculating rats. The extract dosed at 60 mg/kg significantly increased LH and T following acute and subchronic administration and increased 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels in the nucleus accumbens, 30 min after the acute administration.

CONCLUSIONThe improvement in both appetitive and consummatory components of sexual behavior observed in male rats treated with the extract could be ascribed to increased serum T level in parallel with the activation of the central dopaminergic system.

Animals ; Brain Chemistry ; drug effects ; Central Nervous System ; drug effects ; Copulation ; drug effects ; Dopamine ; physiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Ejaculation ; drug effects ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Female ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Microdialysis ; Motivation ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sexual Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Stimulation, Chemical ; Synaptic Transmission ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of kidney-jing deficiency on the fertility of male mice and their male offspring.

METHODSThirty 6-week-old Kunming male mice and 300 female ones were randomly allocated to a blank control group, a model group and a kidney-tonifying group. The model and the kidney-tonifying groups were stressed by fear plus excessive sex to establish a kidney-jing deficiency model, and meanwhile the latter were given concentrated solution of Kidney-tonifying Recipe intragastrically at the dose of 0.16 ml/10 g. The control and the model groups were treated with physiological saline at the same dose for 21 days. Then all the male mice were mated with the healthy estrous females for 5 days. The sperm density and motility of each group of the male mice were examined, and their fertility was assessed by comparison of the pregnancy rate and the number of baby mice at each birth among their female mates. And the sperm density and motility of the male offspring were detected at 6 weeks.

RESULTSThe average number of baby mice at each birth in the model group was (7.00 +/- 1.73), significantly smaller than those in the control (9.43 +/- 1.27) and the kidney-tonifying group (8.80 +/- 1.10) (P < 0.05). The sperm density and motility of the model mice were (9.70 +/- 1.15) x 10(6) / ml and (66.72 +/- 10. 12) %, lower than those of the control ([14.08 +/- 1.15 x 10(6)/ ml and [81.75 +/- 3.56] %), and the kidney-tonifying group ([12.20 +/- 1.55] x 10(6)/ ml and [78.55 +/- 4.38] %) (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the latter two groups (P > 0.05). The sperm density and motility of the offspring of the model mice were (10.10 +/- 1.79) x 10(6)/ ml and (71.86 +/- 7.48) %, lower than those of the control ([15.30 +/- 1.83] x 10(6)/ ml and [79.86 +/- 5.68] %), and the kidney-tonifying group ([14.20 +/- 2.21] x 10(6)/ ml and [81.92 +/- 2.51] %) (P < 0.05), with no significant difference between the latter two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFear plus excessive sex could reduce the fertility of male mice and even that of their male offspring. And kidney-tonifying therapy could counteract this effect.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cats ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fear ; psychology ; Female ; Fertility ; drug effects ; physiology ; Litter Size ; drug effects ; Male ; Materia Medica ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Predatory Behavior ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Sexual Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects ; Stress, Psychological ; physiopathology

PURPOSE: To investigate the potential benefits of testosterone administration to elderly men (>65 years) with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) in comparison with younger men and to assess the safety of testosterone administration to elderly men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 561 hypogonadal men from two registry studies were divided into age groups of < or =65 years (group Y, n=450; range, 32-65 years) and >65 years (group O, n=111; range, 66-84 years). Following an initial 6-week interval, all men were treated with 3-month injections of parenteral testosterone undecanoate for up to 6 years. RESULTS: Over the 6 years, there was a progressive decrease of body weight and waist circumference. Beneficial effects on lipids and other metabolic factors and on psychological and sexual functioning progressed over the first 24 to 42 months and were sustained. Rather than a deterioration, there was an improvement of urinary parameters. Prostate volume and prostate-specific antigen increased moderately. Hematocrit levels increased but remained within safe margins. CONCLUSIONS: The benefits of restoring serum testosterone in men with LOH were not significantly different between men older than 65 years of age and younger men. There were no indications that side effects were more severe in elderly men. The effects on prostate and urinary function and hematocrit were within safe margins. Age itself need not be a contraindication to testosterone treatment of elderly men with LOH.
Age Factors ; Age of Onset ; Aged ; Androgens/administration & dosage ; Anthropometry/methods ; Drug Monitoring/methods ; Germany ; Humans ; *Hypogonadism/diagnosis/drug therapy/epidemiology/physiopathology/psychology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organ Size ; *Prostate/drug effects/pathology ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/analysis ; Registries ; *Sexual Behavior/drug effects/psychology ; Testosterone/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives ; Treatment Outcome