SEX, MEN’S BODY CHEMISTRY, AND VIAGRA
// October 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // Impotence
We know now that there is more to a man’s sexual life than his testosterone. What could be more important than this manliest of all male hormones?Nitric oxide. What is nitric oxide?Nitric oxide (NO) is the chemical instigator of a man’s erection. NO is not a hormone but a neurotransmitter. Unlike hormones, which are produced in endocrine glands and released into a man’s bloodstream to exert their influence all over his body, neurotransmitters have more modest ambitions. Neurotransmitters influence the behavior of neighboring cells. The neurotransmitter NO allows blood to flow into the penile erectile bodies and is crucial for a man to develop early penile swelling, a condition called tumescence.Full rigid erections require a second, locally produced chemical called cyclic GMP (cGMP). A man’s penis remains erect and rigid as long as the local cGMP levels remain elevated. When cGMP levels diminish, so does a man’s erection. Sildenafil (Viagra) increases cGMP, and this is why it works to improve the stamina of a man’s erections.Thus, the combination of locally produced NO is needed to initiate a man’s erection, and cGMP is required to sustain it. When cGMP levels fall, a man’s erection fades. As long as penile-tissue cGMP levels remain high, erectile vigor persists. Sildenafil (Viagra) is effective because it helps maintain high cGMP levels.It is as simple as this.
| 1. | Deplete cGMP and a man loses his erection |
| 2. | Buttress cGMP levels and man can maintain his erection. |
| 3. | Sildenafil (Viagra) stabilizes cGMP levels and increases erectile vigor. |
Is Viagra foolproof and guaranteed to improve every impotent man’s erections and sexual performance all the time? Unfortunately not.
There is a yin and yang to a man’s erections. Just as some neurotransmitters turn the erectile process on, others turn it off. For example, adrenalinelike chemicals (always lurking in the body and spewed out during stress) can siphon blood out of a man’s penis with lightning speed, causing his erection to collapse.
Thus, the NO cGMP signal “turns on” a man’s erection, whereas adrenaline “tuns it off.” NO and cGMP, as well as the potential side effects, proper use, cost, and controversy surrounding Viagra.
Sildenafil (Viagra) has been very effective in allowing many impotent men to experience erections and enjoy sexual function once again. However, for the 30-35 percent of impotent men who do not have improved erections with Viagra, other treatment strategies are likely to be more effective.
