Potassium channel agonists cause penile erection in cats

Using a feline model, erections caused by a new class of vasodilator agents that specifically activate potassium (K⁺-ATP) channels (lemakalim, nicorandil, and pinacidil) were compared to baseline and maximal erections induced by a standard drug combination (1.65 mg papaverine, 25 μg phentolamine and 0.5 μg PGE₁) injected intracavernosally. The responses were characterized by the maximal intracavernosal pressure, the duration of maximal pressure, the total duration of drug effect, the change in penile length, and alterations in systemic arterial blood pressure. All three K⁺-ATP channel openers caused erections in a dose-dependent manner. All agents caused similar increases in penile length with full erection, but the duration of maximal pressure and duration of action were significantly shorter (P<0.01) than with the standard drug combination. Lemakalim did not decrease systemic blood pressure as did nicorandil, pinacidil, and the standard drug combination. This study supports the use of an in-vivo feline model for the evaluation of vasoactive agents and suggests that a new class of agents can pharmacologically activate the erectile response selectively by an alternate pathway.