title: Changes in clitoral blood flow in premenopausal women affected by type 1 diabetes after single 100-mg administration of sildenafil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify whether sildenafil is effective in modifying clitoral blood flow in premenopausal women affected by type 1 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The setting was a diabetes outpatient clinic in which 30 premenopausal women affected by type 1 diabetes treated with insulin therapy and 39 healthy premenopausal women participated in our prospective open-label clinical study. Each diabetic woman received a single oral dose of 100 mg sildenafil. Translabial color Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure the resistance index, pulsatility index, peak systolic velocity, and end-diastolic velocity of the clitoral arteries 1 and 4 hours after sildenafil intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hour after the administration of sildenafil, the mean resistance index was significantly lower and the mean pulsatility index, mean peak systolic velocity, and mean end-diastolic velocity of the clitoral arteries were significantly greater compared with baseline and 4 hours after sildenafil (P <0.05). The baseline clitoral blood flow of the diabetic women was lower compared with that of the control group (P <0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sildenafil seems to improve the clitoral blood flow of premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological and Gynaecological Science, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. scaruso@unict.it
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rugolo
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mirabella
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Intelisano
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Mari
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cianci
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D002987:Clitoris / Q000098:blood supply*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017697:Premenopause; D011687:Purines; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate