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Low nitric oxide bioavailability is associated with better responses to sildenafil in patients with erectile dysfunction

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Abstract

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a multifactorial disease associated with vascular dysfunction, low nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, and oxidative stress. However, it is not known whether low NO bioavailability and oxidative stress affect the responsiveness of ED patients to sildenafil. We tested this hypothesis by studying 28 healthy subjects (control group), 26 patients with ED without comorbidities (ED group), and 18 patients with ED and diabetes mellitus (ED/DM group). The International Index for Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire was used to assess the erectile function of all participants, and their responsiveness to sildenafil was assessed as the percentage of change in the five-item version of IIEF score before and after sildenafil treatment. Levels of whole blood nitrite, antioxidants markers (ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and reduced glutathione), and oxidative stress markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and protein carbonyl) were determined. We found a negative correlation between whole blood nitrite levels and the responses to sildenafil in both ED groups (P < 0.05). FRAP correlated negatively with the responses to sildenafil in the ED/DM group (P < 0.05). No other significant associations were found. Our findings show evidence that low NO bioavailability is associated with better responses to sildenafil in patients with ED (with or without DM).

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Jaqueline J. Muniz & Jonas T. C. Sertório

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Riccardo Lacchini & Jose E. Tanus-Santos

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil

    Alceu A. Jordão Jr.

  4. Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Yuri T. D. A. Nobre, Silvio Tucci Jr. & Antônio C. P. Martins

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  1. Jaqueline J. Muniz
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  2. Riccardo Lacchini
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  8. Jose E. Tanus-Santos
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Correspondence to Jose E. Tanus-Santos.

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Muniz, J.J., Lacchini, R., Sertório, J.T.C. et al. Low nitric oxide bioavailability is associated with better responses to sildenafil in patients with erectile dysfunction. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 386, 805–811 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-013-0882-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-013-0882-z

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