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Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Intracavernosal Pressure Recording to Evaluate Erectile Function in Rodents
Published on: June 6, 2018
RhoA/Rho-kinase: a novel player in the regulation of penile erection
K Chitaley1, R C Webb, T M Mills
1Department of Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. kanchanc@umich.edu
Abstract:
Current research has centered around the role of nitric oxide in the stimulation of cavernosal vasodilation and erection. However, recent evidence from our lab details the importance of endogenous vasoconstrictor mechanisms in maintaining a flaccid penile state, and further demonstrates that the inhibition of endogenous vasoconstriction is sufficient to stimulate erection in a rat model. In this article, we suggest inhibition of endogenous vasoconstriction as a potential therapeutic avenue in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. We also speculate on potential physiologic mechanisms by which endogenous vasoconstriction is inhibited in order for arousal-initiated vasorelaxation, and erection, to occur.
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