Phosphodiesterase-5A dysregulation in penile erectile tissue is a mechanism of priapism.

ABSTRACT: The molecular mechanism for priapism is not well characterized. Although the nitric oxide (NO) pathway is known to mediate penile erection under normal conditions, we hypothesized that the mechanism of priapism rests in aberrant downstream signaling of this pathway based on our previous findings that mice lacking the gene for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS-/-) and mice lacking both neuronal NOS (nNOS) and eNOS (nNOS-/-, eNOS-/-) have a tendency for priapic activity. We investigated the role of downstream guanylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5A) expression and function in mediating these responses in eNOS-/- and nNOS-/-, eNOS-/- mice. Erectile responses to both cavernous nerve stimulation and intracavernosal injection of the NO donor diethylamine-NONOate were augmente

SUBMITTER: Champion HC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC547836 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature