title: The effects of sildenafil after chronic L-NAME administration in male rat sexual behavior.
abstract: Ferraz MMD, Quintella SL, Parcial ALN, Ferraz MR. The effects of sildenafil citrate and L-NAME on male rat sexual behaviour. PHARMACOL BIOCHEM BEHAV. Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects up to 50% of men between 40 and 70years of age. Significant advances in the pharmacological treatment of ED occurred in recent years, most notably the introduction of the first oral selective phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor, sildenafil. This study investigated the effectiveness of chronic oral treatment with L-NAME in rats as an experimental model of erectile dysfunction to evaluate new pharmacological agents that affect the sexual response. The effects of chronic oral L-NAME treatment, separately or in combination with sildenafil, on the sexual behaviour of male rats were evaluated. Filtered water was used as a control. Acute administration of L-NAME did not alter the sexual response compared with control, but sildenafil administration facilitated sexual behaviour after acute and chronic administration. Chronic L-NAME treatment inhibited motivational and consummatory measures of male rat sexual behaviour. Sildenafil prevented the inhibitory effects of L-NAME. The present results confirm that chronic oral treatment with a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor may be a relevant peripheral ED model to evaluate the effects of drugs on erectile function of male rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Psychobiology, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcântara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcia M D
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Psychobiology, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcântara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Suelen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Quintella
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Psychobiology, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcântara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: André L N
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Parcial
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Psychobiology, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcântara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Biomedical Center, University Gama Filho, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ferraz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester
keywords: L-NAME; Nitric oxide; Penile erection dysfunction; Phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor; Sex; Sildenafil