title: [Advances in studies of Chinese herbs for improving relaxability of corporal smooth muscle].
abstract: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a commonly and frequently encountered disease among middle-aged and old males. The traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of medical treatment for ED has been focusing too much on clinical experience researches, without obtaining sufficient evidence for the curative effect of related traditional medicines. Recently, with important breakthroughs the researches on the molecular biochemical mechanisms of erection, sildenafil(Viagra), a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, has been developed, and exciting progress achieved in the treatment of ED with Chinese herbal medicine and the presentation of the pharmacological mechanism. This article presents an overview on recent advances in the studies of ED treatment with traditional Chinese medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China. jchen121121@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ji-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology*; D010413:Penis / Q000502:physiology*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal