Intracavernosal administration of sodium nitrite as an erectile pharmacotherapy

• Published in: Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology 2010-07, Vol.88 (7), p.770-776
• Main Authors: Lasker, George F, Matt, Christopher J, Badejo, Jr, Adeleke M, Casey, David B, Dhaliwal, Jasdeep S, Murthy, Subramanyam N, Kadowitz, Philip J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Allopurinol - administration & dosage; Animals; Anti-impotence agents; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Care and treatment; Dosage and administration; dysfonction érectile; eNOS; Enzyme Inhibitors - administration & dosage; erectile dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction - drug therapy; Erectile Dysfunction - physiopathology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Impotence; intracaverneux; intracavernosal; Male; monoxyde d'azote; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester - administration & dosage; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide Donors - administration & dosage; Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors; nitrite de sodium; Nitroprusside - administration & dosage; Penile Erection - drug effects; Penile Erection - physiology; Penis - blood supply; Penis - drug effects; Penis - physiology; Pharmacology; Properties; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sexual disorders; Sodium nitrite; Sodium Nitrite - administration & dosage; Studies; vasodilatateur; vasodilator; Vasodilator Agents - administration & dosage; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; xanthine oxidoreductase; xanthine oxydoréductase
• ISSN: 0008-4212; 1205-7541
• DOI: 10.1139/Y10-032

It has been reported that sodium nitrite (NaNO 2 ) can act as a storage form of nitric oxide (NO) that can have beneficial pharmacologic actions. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of NaNO 2 on erectile function in the rat. The intracavernosal (i.c.) injection of NaNO 2 produced dose-related increases in i.c. pressure and decreases in systemic arterial pressure. NaNO 2 was 1000-fold less potent than sodium nitroprusside in increasing i.c. pressure. Increases in i.c. pressure in response to NaNO 2 were attenuated by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-nitro- l -arginine methyl ester ( l -NAME). The increases in i.c. pressure in response to NaNO 2 were not altered by the xanthine oxidoreductase inhibitor allopurinol. The decreases in systemic arterial pressure in response to i.c. injections of NaNO 2 were attenuated by allopurinol and were either unchanged or increased by l -NAME. These data suggest that NaNO 2 is converted to vasoactive NO in the corpora cavernosum and systemic vascular bed of the rat by different mechanisms. The present data suggest that the conversion of NaNO 2 to vasoactive NO is mediated by NOS in the corpora cavernosum and by xanthine oxidoreductase in the systemic vascular bed of the rat. These data show NaNO 2 can serve as a NO donor that increases erectile activity in the rat.