Dysfunctional penile cholinergic nerves in diabetic impotent men

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Urology; (USA)

OSTI ID:6522662

Blanco, R; Saenz de Tejada, I; Goldstein, I; Krane, R J; Wotiz, H H; Cohen, R A ^[1]

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1. Boston Univ. School of Medicine, MA (USA)

Impotence in the diabetic man may be secondary to a neuropathic condition of the autonomic penile nerves. The relationship between autonomic neuropathy and impotence in diabetes was studied in human corporeal tissue obtained during implantation of a penile prosthesis in 19 impotent diabetic and 15 nondiabetic patients. The functional status of penile cholinergic nerves was assessed by determining their ability to accumulate tritiated choline (34), and synthesize (34) and release (19) tritiated-acetylcholine after incubation of corporeal tissue with tritiated-choline (34). Tritiated-choline accumulation, and tritiated-acetylcholine synthesis and release were significantly reduced in the corporeal tissue from diabetic patients compared to that from nondiabetic patients (p less than 0.05). The impairment in acetylcholine synthesis worsened with the duration of diabetes (p less than 0.025). No differences in the parameters measured were found between insulin-dependent (11) and noninsulin-dependent (8) diabetic patients. The ability of the cholinergic nerves to synthesize acetylcholine could not be predicted clinically with sensory vibration perception threshold testing. It is concluded that there is a functional penile neuropathic condition of the cholinergic nerves in the corpus cavernosum of diabetic impotent patients that may be responsible for the erectile dysfunction.

• OSTI ID: 6522662
• Journal Information: Journal of Urology; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Urology; (USA) Vol. 144; ISSN JOURA; ISSN 0022-5347
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550901* -- Pathology-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ACETYLCHOLINE
ALCOHOLS
AMINES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BODY
CHOLINE
DIABETES MELLITUS
DISEASES
DRUGS
ENDOCRINE DISEASES
ESTERS
HORMONES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INSULIN
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LIPOTROPIC FACTORS
MALE GENITALS
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
METABOLIC DISEASES
NERVES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES
NEUROREGULATORS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS
PATHOGENESIS
PATIENTS
PEPTIDE HORMONES
PROSTHESES
QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
UROGENITAL SYSTEM DISEASES