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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Intracavernosal Pressure Recording to Evaluate Erectile Function in Rodents
Published on: June 6, 2018
[Raf/MEK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway and penile erection]
1Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China. xuchx0610@163.com
Abstract:
Penile erection is regulated by the relaxation of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs). It has been recognized that the Ras/MEK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway is closely related to the functions of CCSMCs and endothelial cells, and it is involved in the regulation of penile erection, mainly via phosphorylation of NO synthase. ERK1/2 phosphorylates, inhibits eNOS activity, and thus reduces the relaxation of CCSMCs and penile erection. But the site of phosphorylation is not yet clear. In CCSMCs and endothelial cells, the ERK1/2 pathway interacts with other cascades and regulates the erectile function of the penis. This article presents an overview of the researches on the ERK1/2 signaling cascade, its regulatory role and its interaction with other signaling pathways in penile erection.
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