Glutathione levels in patients with erectile dysfunction, with or without diabetes mellitus

• Published in: International journal of andrology 2005-06, Vol.28 (3), p.156-162
• Main Authors: TAGLIABUE, M., PINACH, S., DI BISCEGLIE, C., BROCATO, L., CASSADER, M., BERTAGNA, A., MANIERI, C., PESCARMONA, G.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Diabetes Complications - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; erectile dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction - blood; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; glutathione; Glutathione - blood; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Hypertension - blood; Male; Male genital diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; nitric oxide; Non tumoral diseases; Reference Values; type 2 diabetes mellitus
• ISSN: 0105-6263; 1365-2605
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00528.x

Summary The reduced form of glutathione (GSH) is the most important cell antioxidant and is also an essential cofactor for nitric oxide (NO) synthase that synthesizes NO from l‐arginine. Reduced levels of GSH, due both to a hyperglycaemia‐induced increase of free radical production and to a decrease of NADPH levels [like in diabetes mellitus (DM)], can hamper the endothelial cell functions. This condition may play an important role in the aetiology of some clinical signs, like erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that GSH concentration is reduced in patients with ED and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We studied 111 male patients with ED: 64 with diabetes (ED/DM) and 47 without diabetes (ED/wDM); 20 patients with diabetes but without ED (DM) and 26 male normal subjects as a control group (C). The GSH red blood cell concentration was significantly lower in ED than in C (X ± SD; 1782.12 ± 518.02 vs. 2269.20 ± 231.56 μmol/L, p