title: Intracavernosal administration of sodium nitrite as an erectile pharmacotherapy.
abstract: It has been reported that sodium nitrite (NaNO2) can act as a storage form of nitric oxide (NO) that can have beneficial pharmacologic actions. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of NaNO2 on erectile function in the rat. The intracavernosal (i.c.) injection of NaNO2 produced dose-related increases in i.c. pressure and decreases in systemic arterial pressure. NaNO2 was 1000-fold less potent than sodium nitroprusside in increasing i.c. pressure. Increases in i.c. pressure in response to NaNO2 were attenuated by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). The increases in i.c. pressure in response to NaNO2 were not altered by the xanthine oxidoreductase inhibitor allopurinol. The decreases in systemic arterial pressure in response to i.c. injections of NaNO2 were attenuated by allopurinol and were either unchanged or increased by L-NAME. These data suggest that NaNO2 is converted to vasoactive NO in the corpora cavernosum and systemic vascular bed of the rat by different mechanisms. The present data suggest that the conversion of NaNO2 to vasoactive NO is mediated by NOS in the corpora cavernosum and by xanthine oxidoreductase in the systemic vascular bed of the rat. These data show NaNO2 can serve as a NO donor that increases erectile activity in the rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University Medical Center, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL83, New Orleans, LA 70112-2699, USA.
authors.forename: George F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Lasker
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Matt
authors.forename: Adeleke M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Badejo
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Jasdeep S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dhaliwal
authors.forename: Subramanyam N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Murthy
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kadowitz
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012977:Sodium Nitrite / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D000493:Allopurinol; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D012977:Sodium Nitrite; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester