ABSTRACT
The regulation of vascular and trabecular smooth muscle relaxation or contraction in the penis, that is, the physiology of corporal smooth muscle tone, determines penile erection or flaccidity. There is considerable evidence that the potassium channel and calcium channel, like many other vascular tissues, are the major modulators of smooth muscle tone in the corpora. Moreover, data on cultured corporal smooth muscle cells and isolated corporal tissue strips have demonstrated that the neurotransmitters participating in erection modulate corporal smooth muscle tone largely through their effects on ionic channels and transmembrane ionic flux.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Cell Line , Ion Channels , Physiology , Muscle Contraction , Physiology , Muscle, Smooth , Cell Biology , Physiology , Penis , Cell Biology , Physiology , Potassium Channels , Physiology , Sodium Channels , PhysiologyABSTRACT
The signal transduction pathways within corporal smooth muscle cells are the intracellular molecular mechanisms of corporal smooth muscle tone regulation. Various neurotransmitters activate the membrane receptor proteins or intracellular enzyme pathways and result in the production of extracellular chemical signals. Second messenger molecules and ions transmit and amplify the signals, and subsequently induce the relaxation of smooth muscle cells and penile erection. Therefore, the study of signal transduction in cavernous smooth muscle play an important role in understanding the physiology of erection and the pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction as well as in developing new selective drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.