Intracavernous pressure as an experimental index in a rat model for the evaluation of penile erection

This report communicates our attempt to design a small animal model for the evaluation of penile erection, based on the pharmacological responses of cavernous tissues in the rat that resemble those of human subjects. Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium were used in conjunction with papaverine and prostaglandin E1, two vasoactive drugs most commonly used in clinical management of impotence. Intracavernous administration of papaverine (0.05, 0.1, 0.02, 0.4 or 0.8 mg.) induced a progressive increase in intracavernous pressure that peaked at 0.4 mg. This effect was associated with visible penile erection that became conspicuous when accompanied by additional bursts of transient intracavernous pressure fluctuations. The duration of papaverine-induced increase in intracavernous pressure was significantly shortened by clonidine (15 micrograms, intracavernous). Injection of prostaglandin E1 (1, 2 or 4 micrograms) into the corpus cavernosum also elicited an elevation in intracavernous pressure, but the responses exhibited acute tachyphylaxis. By manifesting a response to papaverine and prostaglandin E1 that is similar to that in human, we conclude that the intracavernous pressure in the rat may represent a suitable index for the evaluation of penile erection in small laboratory animals.